LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Shelf .....:S.3 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




Descending Rev.21:9.io 



Biblical Trace 
of the Church 

FROM 

HER BIRTH 

TO THE 

eintd of ti:m::e. 



Showing the true origin and termination of Seetism. And proving 
that we are near the End of the World; 



A Brief Dissertation on False Teachers. 



v c 







GRAND JUNCTION, MICH. 

GOSPEL TKUMPET PUBLISHING 00. 

1893. 



f- 






Copyrighted, 



P REFAC E. 

"The great crisis is at hand." The long expected Even- 
ing Light has come. The Church, now emanating from 
the dark abyss in which she has been shut up for centuries, 
"looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as 
the sun, and terrible as an army with banners," "prepared 
as a bride adorned for her husband." Rev. 21: 2. 

"Oh glory to Jesus! we hail the bright day, 

And high on our banners salvation display; 
The mists of confusion are passing away." 

Knowing of a certainty on what line God is now working, 
and that what we do must be done quickly, because the 
Lord will make a short work upon earth,we are constrain- 
ed to issue this little volume to assist in the spreading 
of the glorious evening light, "that I may by all means 
save some." The only reward we seek for our labors is 
the salvation of souls. And if I shall meet one soul at 
God's right hand, who shall tell me that this volume was 
instrumental in bringing him to Christ, I shall consider 
myself paid a thousand times, for all the time and labor 
spent in the prosecution of this work. 

We earnestly request all our readers to give this work 
a careful investigation before casting it aside, reading 
carefully and prayerfully the scriptures referred to, lest 
haply you should cast away the present truth of God, and 
plur.gp your son! in pr^wt despair. 



iv PREFACE. 

As the subject of this work is one of vast importance, 
we call upon skeptics as well as believers to investigate: 
not only in this work, but in others now extant. And 
doubtless you will in the near future have access to far 
superior works on this same subject, which God will bring 
forth through whom he wills. We trust only that this 
book will accomplish the author's design in its time. 

We call the attention of all skeptics, who may chance 
to peruse this work, to a few facts set forth in it ; namely, 
that the Bible hath foretold the exact length of the reign 
of Popery; the exact date of its downfall; the date of the 
rise of Protestantism ; the length of its reign ; the exact 
date of its downfall, and of the ushering in of the Evening 
Light; all of which are backed by the pages of history. 
Now could this wonderful book have spoken so accurate- 
ly, were it not a letter from the God of- heaven? 

The plan of this work is explicitly diagrammed upon 
the map in the front part of the book ; from which it will 
be seen that the Christian era is divided into four distinct 
ages; the Morning Light age, the Papal age, the Protes- 
tant age, and the Evening Light age. By reading this 
book you will see that we are living in the Evening Light 
age, which is the last age of time. The next age will be 
a never-ending eternity. 

Yours in the love of Jesus> * ' , 9 

Wm. G. Schell. 



Poetie Preface. 



The Protestant leaders will call rne, I'm sure, 
An anti-ehrist teacher and an evil doer. 
Their faces will gather an unpleasant look 
When they peruse the contents of this little book. 
Not because we call Romanism Babylon dame, 
TBut for proving their own sects daughters of the same. 
They'll wink at a blast against bigoted Rome, 
But frown upon that which their meanness makes known. 
They'll say if this man had the Bible explained, 
'Gainst the great aberration, by Christians disdained, 
And the meanness extant in the dark papal day, 
And let us alone ; we'd have nothing to say. 
The papist will say, if this volume he reads, 
I.believe this man's right 'bout the Protestant creeds; 
I never did think they amounted to much, 
But he's badly mistaken 'bout the Catholic church. 
For she's the true church, built on Peter the rock, 
Unto whom was giv'n keys heaven's kingdom to unlock. 
All within her arms safeiy in heaven shall dwell, 
And the rest every one shall be cast into hell. 
•The day we're expecting I hope will soon dawn 
When the old inquisition is set up again, 
To purge this old earth from division and sin, 
And kill all such heretic teachers as him. 
Come now, fellow papist, and Protestant too ; 
I would like a few moments to reason with you, 
If your creed and your doctrine is truly reli'ble 
Ev'ry plank in your platform is found in the Bible. 
The Bible declares if you do all but one 
Of the precepts God gave us your work's still undone, 
And forbids you to add to the words of the Lord, 
Lest thou shouldst be reproved and a liar be found. 
And if any teach a doctrine contrary to it, 
Though an angel from heaven he deserves but the pit. 
I profess that this volume is but a reproof 
'Gainst additions to, and subtractions from truth. 
Now if aught I have said can by any be shaken, 
I'll rise like a Christian and say I'm mistaken. 
But except you refute with a "thus saith the Lord," 
I'll continue the same, not retracting a word. 



vi POETIC PREFACE. 

Now will you sectarians be equally free 

To accept all trie truth in this volume you see? 

And reject the commandments and doctrines of men, 

Which this volume refutes and you cannot sustain? 

Now don't be like one whose epistle I read 

Just two days ago in which he hath said: 

"I could furnish much scripture this doctrine to refute, 

But deem not essential, sufficient is its fruit." 

Just before the above he said: "This I know, 

Saints get the best people, most wherever they go." 

Thus spake the accuser without Bible truth, 

To back his assertion. Non-essential his excuse. 

Of this doctrine he says he can easily refute it, 

If so why don't he or some other man do it? 

If we be false teachers and he be the true, 

He should do what the Bible enjoins him to do. 

Be able with doctrine so holy and sound 

To exhort and convince all the gainsay ers round, 

For unruly talkers should not be let go, 

'Till the best of the people on earth they o'erthrow. 

But ah! in his argument's one bad defect. 

This doctrine so false captures but the elect. 

I can't understand how the very best men, 

Can be thus led astray, and the* worst ones remain. 

I J oor man, if he'd open the Lord's holy word, 

At St. Mark thirteenth chapter, and see what the Lord 

Hath predicted concerning the gathering together, 

Of the scattered elect from one end to the other, J 

With the sound of the trumpet in these latter days, 

Perhaps he might see some of his erring ways. 

Now reader, don't do as this babbler hath done. 

Don't profess a great vict'ry before it is won, 

If ought I have written you understand better, 

Please pay me a visit or write me a letter. 

I'll humble myself as a child any time, 

And let you instruct me from God's word sublime. 

Of course I won't take the commandments of men, 

The doctor's opinion, nor comment, nor pen ; 

Bu b come unto me with the real Bible candle ; 

All else God forbids me to touch, taste, or handle. 

AUTHOR. 



Page 

Apostasy, foretold in the sacred Scriptures 22 

Beast, Final Doom of 230 

u Healing of \. 216 

Bible proofs that we are in the last days 208 

Church, Whence came the? 9 

" Where was it during the dark ages? 65 

" Final home- of 232 

Evening Light, foretold in the Bible 169 

" Foreseen by the saints in Protes- 
tantism 1 86 

False Teachers, Dissertation on 235 

Morning Light, how it gradually vanished 11 

Papacy foretold and described in prophecy and 

the Revelation 33 

Protestantism foreshown in the types and pro- 
phecies of Bible 104 

Protestantism, Origin of 147 

' ' Weighed in the balance and found 

wanting 1 44 

Reformation foreseen by saints in Catholicism. ...96 

Foreshown in the Revelation ' 93 

Romanism, Origin of 69 

Sanctuary, Cleansing of leg 



Biblical Traee of The Church 



PART I. 



THE MORNIKG LIGHT AGE. 




CHAPTER I. 

WHENCE CAME THE CHURCH? 

HE church of God, whence came it? from 
heaven Or of men? We can boldly answer 
that it was not built by men; for we read that 
it is "a stone cut out of a mountain without 
hands." Dan. 2: 34, 45. And again, "a 
kingdom set up by the God of heaven." 
Verse 44. In the book of Revelation we find written: 
"I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming 
down from God out of heaven." Rev. 21: 2. 

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and 
high mountain, and showed me that great city, the 
holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God 
— Verse 10. 

New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven 
from my God. — Rev. 3: 12. 

9 



io THE CHURCH. 

Some infer from these texts that a literal city is yet 
to descend upon the earth, which shall be the future 
home of the saints for one thousand years, the length 
of a much-fancied millennium, which they suppose is 
soon to commence. 

These are false ideas, for the word of God nowhere 
teaches a millennium, nor does a syllable of it insin- 
uate that this earth will be a future home of the 
saints. But it contrariwise teaches that "here have we 
no continuing city." Heb. 13: 14. 

If all who adhere to the millennium tradition would 
read carefully Rev. 21: 9, where the angel tells John 
the heavenly Jerusalem is "the bride, the Lamb's wife," 
then notice whom the New Testament so repeatedly 
denominates "the wife of Christ," they would at once 
discover their error. 

Paul identifies the "heavenly Jerusalem" with "the 
church of the firstborn," and "the general assembly" 
of the saints. Heb. 12: 22, 23. The church, there- 
fore, is the very city John saw descending. It may 
puzzle some to understand that the church is of 
heavenly origin, when they consider that it consists 
of men and women. To all such we would say, it is 
because Jesus, its foundation, builder, head, door, 
etc.; and the Holy Ghost, its leader, teacher and 
sanctifier are from heaven: and because all its mem- 
bers are "born from above" {See Emphatic Diaglctt 
jfno. j; 3.), that the church is spoken of as having 
descended from thence. 



MORNING LIGHT AGE. n 

CHAPTER II. 

THE MORNING LIGHT, AND HOW IT GRADUALLY 
VANISHED AWAY. 

Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of 
the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, 
and also the night. — Isa. 21: 11, 1?. The morning 
here spoken of was the early part of the Christian 
era, when the glorious light of the gospel of Christ 
shone clear as crystal. The night was the dark age 
of the apostasy which followed it. 

We will now take up a few of the principal features 
and doctrines of the apostolic church, one by one, 
and show how the household of professors gradually 
departed from them. 

UNITY. 

Jesus founded his church in unity. He saith con- 
cerning her, "My dove, my undefiled is but one." 
Cant. 6: 9. And again: "Other sheep I have[ Gentiles] 
which are not of this fold [not Jews]: them also I 
must bring," and they shall hear my voice; and there 
shall be one fold, and one shepherd." Jno. 10: 16. 
The night of his apprehension he prayed for the sanc- 
tincation of his people that they might be made 
perfect in one. Jno. 17: 17-23. 

The apostolic church retained perfect unity for a 
time. In the "Acts of the Apostles," an inspired 
history written about A. D. 63 or 64, we read, "All 
that believed were together." Acts 2: 44. They 
lifted up their voice to God with one accord. — Acts 
4: 24. The multitude of them that believed were of 



12 THE CHURCH. 

one heart and of one soul. — V. 23. Soon some fell 
under the anti-christ spirit and departed from the true 
faith. Of them we read as follows: "Certain which 
went out from us." Acts 15: 24. 

In A. D. 90 St. John wrote his general epistle, in 
which he spake of these, saying, "They went out from 
us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of 
us, they would no doubt haye continued with us." 1 
Jno. 2: 19. 

In A. D. 66 Peter prophesied that there should be 
false teachers among the people, who privily should 
bring in damnable heresies. 2 Pet. 2: I. Paul also 
in A. D. 60 prophesied, saying, "After my departing 
shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing 
the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, 
speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after 
them." Acts 20: 29, 30. These predictions were 
speedily fulfilled. Ignatius and Clement, *who wrote 
at a little later period, spake otten of the many 
schisms extant in their day. And though they taught 
pointedly that "charity admits no divisions" {Clem- 
ents first epistle to Cor. 21: 5.), "and any one following 
the maker of a schism shall not inherit the kingdom 
of God" ( Ignatius to Pliiladclpliicuis 1 : p. ) , the accursed 
work of division grew and multiplied until hundreds 
of schisms had m^de their appearance within the first 
three centuries. See John S. C. Abbots History of 
Christianity. 

The unity of the Spirit having thus been broken, 

•- : See Apocryphal New Testament. 



MORNING LIGHT AGE. 13 

1 

and the morning light obscured, a good foundation 
was laid for the papacy, which hitherto could not 
make its appearance. 

HUMBLE EQUALITY ELDERSHIP. 

Jesus taught that the elders in his church were 
servants, and not masters. He forbade his apostles 
to be called masters, saying, "One is your master, even 
Christ; and all ye are brethren." Matt. 23: 8-1 1. 
Similar teaching is found in the epistles. Peter ex- 
horts the elders as follows: "Feed the flock of God 
which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not 
by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but 
of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's 
heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." 1 Pet. 
5: 23. Paul when speaking to the Corinthians of his 
authority, said, Not for that we have dominion over 
your faith, but are helpers of your joy. — 2 Cor. 1 : 24. 

The apostles, evangelists, pastors, prophets, ex- 
horters, teachers, etc., are denominated in scripture, 
"the presbytery." 1 Tim. 4: 14. The titles bishop 
and elder are used interchangeably. Tit. 1: 5, 7. The 
title elder is applied to the apostles, I Pet. 5: 1; 2 
Jno. 1; 3 Jno. 1; evangelists, 1 Tim. 5: 17; local 
officers, Acts 14: 23; 20: 17; Tit. 1: 5; the general 
presbytery, Jas. 5: 14. 

But this noble apostolic system did not long con- 
tinue. Before the close-of the first century a popish 
iron-jacket svs^em had crept into the church, which 
exalted one eider in each local congregation above 
the rest, calling him bishop ; while the minor elders 



i 4 THE CHURCH. 

were known as the presbytery. This spirit is mani- 
fested in the epistles of Ignatius. In his epistle to 
the Philadelphians we read: "There is one bishop, 
together with his presbytery, and the deacons my 
fellow-servants." Chapt i : v. 12. In his letter to 
the Magnesians we read: "I exhort you that you 
study to do all things in divine concord; your bishop 
presiding in the place of God; your presbyters in 
the place of the council of the apostles." Chapt. 2: 
v. 4, 5. In his epistle to the Smyrnaeans we read: 
"He that honors the bishop shall be honored of God, 
but he that does anything without his knowledge 
ministers unto the devil." Chapt. 3: v. 7. "It is not 
lawful without the bishop, neither to baptize, nor to 
celebrate the holy communion: but whatsoever he 
shall approve of, that is also pleasing unto God." V.5. 
As it will enable the reader to see more clearly 
how far the people of Ignatius' day had degenerated 
from the true apostolic system, we might mention 
here, that, in the days of the apostles, baptism was 
administered by the deacons, when no human being 
was present but his applicant and himself. Acts 6: 
1-6:8: 1. At a later period the local bishops in the me- 
tropolitan cities were exalted to a higher dignity than 
the rest. D'Aubigne says, "The council of Nice, in 
its sixth canon, mentions three cities, whose churches, 
according to it, exercised a long-established authori- 
ty over those of the surrounding provinces: these 
were Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch." History ofRe- 
formaPon, Book /", Chapt. 1. It was to this beast author- 



MORNING LIGHT AGE. 15 

ity that Paul alluded when he said in A. D. 54, "The 
mystery of iniquity doth already work." — 2 Thess. 2: 7. 
According to ecclesiastical histories this beast 
authority began to center in the bishop of Rome 
about A. D. 270, With this date the history of the 
morning light age closes, and the age of the apostasy 
properly begins. 

BAPTISM. 

We will now notice how the church deviated from 
the true doctrine and mode of baptism. Many per- 
versions of this doctrine were brewed at a very early 
date. The first, perhaps, was that of the object in 
baptism; viz., that it is to wash away sins. This de- 
lusion is taught in the epistle of Barnabas, said to be 
a writer of the first century. He says: "We go down 
into the water full of sins and pollutions; but come 
up again bringing forth fruit." Ch. 10: v, 14. 

Ignatius was also in this same rut. He says: 
"Jesus Christ was * * * conceived in the womb of 
Mary * * * by the Holy Ghost: He was born and 
baptized, that through his passion he might purify 
water, to the washing away of sin." Eph. 4:9. 

When men were once won to this delusion, a good 
foundation was laid for nearly all the perversions of 
the doctrine of baptism. For instance, if someone 
accepted Christ in his last hours, not being baptized; 
under this delusion, the only hope for him would be 
to baptize a living man in his stead. Some infer from 
1 Cor. 15:29 that this was practiced by some de- 
ceived men in the days of Paul. 

2 



Again, if some one should accept Christ upon his 
death bed, not being able to be immersed, such a 
delusion would prompt the rite of sprinkling. Soon 
somebody gets very liberal and desires that children 
shall participate in this ordinance, hence they adopt 
and invent the practice of infant sprinkling, etc. 
This is a facsimile of the way the doctrine of baptism 
has been perverted. 

FAITH AND THE G-IFTS OF THE SPIRIT. 

" Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 

and the evidence of things not seen." Heb. u: I. 

"So faith, to our soul, is our ears and our eyes. 
Our hands and our arms, that reach to the skies, 
And pluck from the beautiful tree of life. 
Our shield of protection amid the strife," 

Faith in apostolic times opened the blinded eyes, 
unstopped the deaf ears, loosed the tongues of the 
dumb; healed the palsied, the lepers, and diseased 
persons of every description; cast out devils, raised 
the dead, and exercised all the gifts of the Holy 
Spirit; besides the myriads of souls who were by 
faith raised from a spiritual death in trespasses and 
sins, to a life of "righteousness and true holiness." 
But gradually, as the people retrograded from the 
unadulterated truth of the Gospel, faith fell into a 
lethargy until his mighty works ceased upon the 
earth. But faith did not rest in silence so soon after 
the apostles as many suppose. In the following ex- 
tracts from the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius 
Pamphilus, the reader will see that the gifts of the 
Spirit, though decreasing in power as the light les- 



MORNING LIGHT AGE. 17 

sened in brilliancy, were manifested in the church as 
long as the Morning Light shone. 

MIRACLES PERFORMED A. D. 180. 

"These accounts are given by Irenaeus in those 
five books of his, to which he gave the title of ' Ref- 
utation and Overthrow of False Doctrines.' In the 
second book of the same work he also shows that 
even down to his times, instances of divine and mi- 
raculous power were remaining in some churches. 
4 So far are they,' says he, ' from raising the dead, 
as the Lord raised, and as the apostles by means of 
prayer, for even among the brethren in a case of 
necessity, when a whole church united in much fast- 
ing and prayer, the spirit has returned to the ex-ani- 
mated body, and the man was granted to the prayers 
of the saints.' 

And again he says, after other observations: 'But 
if they say that our Lord also did these things on'y 
in appearance, we shall refer them back to the pro- 
phetic declarations, and shall show from them that 
all those things were strictly foretold, and were done 
by Him, and that He alone is the Son of God. 
Wherefore, also, those that were truly His disciples, 
receiving grace from Him in His name performed 
these things for the benefit of the rest of men, as 
every one received the free gift from Him. 

Some, indeed, most certainly and truly cast out 
demons, so that frequently those persons them- 
selves that were cleansed from wicked spirits, be- 
lieved and were received into the church. Others 



1 8 THE CHURCH. 

have a knowledge of things to come, as also visions 
and prophetic communications; others heal the sick 
by fhe imposition of hands, and restore them to 
health. And, moreover, as we said above, even the 
dead have been raised and continued with us many 
years. And why should we say more? It is im- 
possible to tell the number of the gifts which the 
church throughout the world received from God, 
and the deeds performed in the name of Jesus 
Christ, that was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and 
this too for the benefit of the heathen, without de- 
ceiving any, or exacting their money. For as she 
has received freely from God, she also freely 
ministers.' 

In another place the same author writes: 'As we 
hear many of the brethren in the church who have 
prophetic gifts, and who speak in all tongues through 
the Spirit, and who also bring to light the secret 
things of men for their benefit, and who expound the 
mysteries of God.' These gifts of different kinds 
also continued with those that were worthy until the 
times mentioned." Book V, Chapt. 7. 

THE MIRACLE OF NARCISSUS, A. D. 211. 

Many miracles are attributed to Narcissus of his 
countrymen, as they received the tradition handed 
down from the brethren. > Among these they relate 
a wonderful event like the following: About the 
great watch of the passover, they say, that whilst the 
deacons were keeping, the vigils of oil failed them; 
upon which all the people being very much dejected, 



MORNING LIGHT AGE. 19 

Narcissus commanded the man that managed the 
lights to draw water from a neighboring well, and to 
bring it to him. He having done it as soon as said, 
Narcissus prayed over the water, and then com- 
manded them in a firm faith in Christ, to pour it into 
the lamps. When they had also done this, contrary 
to all natural expectations, by an extraordinary and 
divine influence, the nature of the water was changed 
into the quality of oil, and by most of the brethren 
a small quantity was preserved from that time until 
our own, as a specimen of the wonder then per- 
formed." Book VI, Chapt. g. 

THE PESTILENCE WHICH PREVAILED ABOUT A. D. 265. 

'A calamity more dreadful to ■ them than any 
dread, and more afflicting than any affliction, and 
which, as one of their own historians has said, was 
of itself alone beyond all hope. To us, however, it 
did not wear this character, but no less than other 
events it was a school for exercise and probation. 
For neither did it keep aloof from us, although it 
assailed the heathen most.' To this he afterwards 
adds: ' Indeed, the most of our brethren, by their 
exceeding great love and brotherly affection, not 
sparing themselves, and adhering to one another, 
were constantly superintending the sick, ministering 
to their wants without fear and without cessation, 
and healing them in Christ, have departed most 
sweetly with them.' Though filled with the disease 
from others, and taking it from their neighbors, they 
voluntarily, by exsuction, extracted Jtkeir pains. 



20 THE CHURCH. 

Many also, who had healed and strengthened others, 
themselves died, transferring their death upon them- 
selves, and exemplifying in fact that trite expression 
which seemed before only a form of politeness, or 
an empty compliment; they were, in fact, in their 
death, 'the offscouring of all.' Book VII, Cliapt. 22. 
Eusebius gives no account of the manifestation of 
any of the gifts of the Spirit at a later date than the 
above, though he followed the church in his narra- 
tive to about A. D. 337. 

HOLINESS. 

Holiness is freedom from all sin, wrought in the 
heart by two distinct works of divine favor. In the 
first is granted absolution from all guilt, and grace 
to live a righteous life. The second includes the 
purging of the heart from inbred sin, and the bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost. Holiness is in truth the 
mainspring of all gospel truth. Hence to retrograde 
from it would be to throw open the doors to every 
species of error.- It was in this manner that the way 
was paved for the apostasy. Had holiness ever been 
retained by the church, there had never been an 
apostasy; had it never been regained the apostasy 
had never been swept away. 

The doctrine of sanctification — the second work of 
grace— must have been hidden from the general 
masses of the people at a very early date. It might, 
however, have been maintained by a scattered few 
until the end of the morning light age, which lasted 
but about two hundred and forty years after Christ's 



MORNING LIGHT AGE. 21 

ascension. In this is comprehended the fulfillment 
of the prophecy of Isaiah: "The people of thy holi- 
ness have possessed it but a little while." Isa. 63: 18. 
The doctrine of justification by faith — the first work 
of grace — has never been totally obscured from the 
people, though in the latter end of the Papal Age it 
was maintained by very few. When the Reformation 
broke out, so few people understood it that the 
reformers were everywhere regarded as heretics be- 
cause they taught it. 




PART II. 



THE PAPAL AGE. A. D. 270-1530. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE APOSTASY FORETOLD IN THE SACRED 
SCRIPTURES. 

S we read the sacred Word we find it is 



,j written that "in those days, after that trib- 
Jj| ulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the 



5}%3 moon shall not give her light; and the stars 
of heaven shall fall, and the powers that 
are in heaven shall be shaken." Mark 
13: 24, 25. 

Many take the above text in a literal sense, and in 
order to prove that the darkening of the sun and 
moon has occurred, refer to some period when they 
were by some means eclipsed; for instance, the 
darkening of the sun at the crucifixion of Christ; the 
"dark day" spoken of by Webster; or some other 
of the numerous eclipses of the sun or moon. We 
acknowledge a supernatural eclipse of the sun at the 
crucifixion of Christ, but that was not the one predic- 

22 



PAPAL AGE. 23 

ted above, for Jesus said it should be "after that 
tribulation," the destruction of Jerusalem by the 
Roman armies, under Titus, in A. D. 70. 

The words, sun, moon, and stars in the above pro- 
phecy are metaphors, the signification of which we 
will now proceed to show. Jesus says, "I am the 
light of the world." Jno. 8: 12; 12: 46. By this he 
means that he is the spiritual sun. He is denominated 
"Sun of righteousness" by the prophet Malachi. Mai. 
4: 2. He says unto his church, "Ye are the light of 
the world." Matt. 5: 14. By this he means that she 
is the spiritual moon. 

In the creation of the sun and moon God drew a 
beautiful type of Christ and his church. As the sun 
is the source of all literal light to our solar system, 
so Christ is the source of all spiritual light to the 
universe. As the moon is, of itself, a cold dark body, 
and borrows all its light from the sun; so the church 
within itself possesses no light whatever, and re- 
ceives all its illumination from Christ. As the rays 
of the sun, striking the moon, are reflected towards 
the earth, so the rays of Christ pouring constantly 
upon his church from above are reflected into this 
sinful world. This anti-typical sun and moon are 
the ones referred to in Jesus', prediction. They were 
darkened in the apostasy, when the spiritual sky, 
becoming gradually obscured by the fogs of human 
inventions, concealed from the vision of the people 
the pure faith and light of the gospel. 

The falling of stars Jesus predicted, these literalists 



24 THE CHURCH. 

apply to the great shower of meteors, which fell about 
sixty years ago. This we consider as absurd as their 
interpretation of the first part of the text. Meteors 
are not real stars, as many illiterate suppose. They 
are mere gas lights. There are instances on record 
of hard stony substances falling upon the earth. These 
are called meteorolites. But they are too insig- 
nificant to be classified with stars. Simple meteors 
never strike the earth. Millions of them are con- 
stantly flying through the universe. When they 
approach too near the earth, gravitation draws them 
toward its surface; hence they appear to us to be 
falling from heaven. They can be seen upon any 
clear night, but are most numerous in the month of 
November. It was in this month that the great shower 
of 1833 fell- But this is not the only meteoric shower 
upon record. Thomas Dick, in his work on the Sidereal 
Heavens, tells us there was a similar occurrence in 
November of the following years: A. D. 1779, 1799, 
1831, 1832, 1834, 1835, l8 36 and 1837. Many more 
incidents of the same kind might be cited, but we 
deem the aforesaid sufficient. It seems that in the 
month of November, the earth in its orbit, passes 
through a field, which serves them as a kind of orb. 
The reader, if he gives this subject due investigation, 
will understand that the falling of meteors and me- 
teorolites is a natural and very common phenomenon: 
hence should not be looked upon as a fulfillment of 
our Lord's prophecy. Real stars, which are either 
fixed or planetary, never fall. If they should, they 



PAPAL AGE. 25 

are as apt to fall some other direction as toward the 
earth. Should one of them, in falling, happen to strike 
the earth, it would be knocked into oblivion; for 
many of them are much larger than the earth. That 
any of them shall ever come tumbling down here is 
incredible. 

The falling of stars Jesus foretold, was the falling 
away of that glorious train of holy men and women, 
who in the early days of Christianity shone "as lights 
in the world." Phil. 2: 15. They were cast down to 
the earth, and stamped upon by popery until their 
lights were obscured. 

We will now hear Amos' prophesy of the apostasy. 
It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, 
that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I 
will darken the earth in the clear day.— Amos 8: 9. 
This text is to be taken in the same sense as that in 
the gospel of Mark. To confirm this, we call the 
reader's attention to what was to follow the going 
down of the sun. And I will turn your feasts into 
mourning, and all' your songs into lamentation; and 
I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness 
upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning 
of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day. — 
Verse 10. 

Xo one can read a history of the "dark ages," 
without acknowledging in it the fulfillment of the 
above prophecy. Amos proceeds to say, Behold, the 
days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a 
famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst 



26 THE CHURCH. 

for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and 
they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north 
even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the 
word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day 
shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. 
— Verses n — 13. The piophet here shows that a 
dreadful ''famine of hearing the words of the Lord" 
should follow the going down of the sun. When we 
consider that this was literally fulfilled in the papal 
age, by the edict of Rome depriving the laity of the 
use of the holy Bible, we are forced to conclude that 
he was foretelling the apostasy. 

Let us now turn to the book of Joel. Here we 
read: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the 
moon into blood, before the great and the terrible 
day of the Lord come. — Joel 2: 31. The sun and 
moon here have the same signification as in the texts 
previously considered. We might, for a moment, 
wonder how the church was turned into blood; but 
when we remember how freely the blood of her mem- 
bers flowed in the age of Romanism, the mystery is 
solved. If we wish to trace the church through that 
dark period, we must do so by the blood of the 
martyrs. If we were to pen a complete history of 
the church in the " dark ages;" we should only be the 
author of a large "book of martyrs." Truly the church 
has been turned into blood. 

We will now turn to the second chapter of Paul's 
second epistle to the Thessalonians. Here we read: 
Be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, **■* as 



PAPAL AGE. 27 

that the day of Christ is at hand. For that day shall 
not come, except there come a falling away first, and 
that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who 
opposeth and exalted himself above all that is called 
God, or that is worshiped; so that he, as God, sitteth 
in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work.— 
Verses 2-4, 7. " Falling away" in the above is iden- 
tical with the falling of the stars in Mark 13: 25, and 
signifies the general apostasy. 

The "man of sin" is the pope of Rome. We find 
him guilty of every thing predicted of the "man of 
sin." He bears such titles as, "Holy Father," "Vice- 
gerant of the Son of God," and others equally as 
blasphemous. He claims authority over the souls 
and bodies of men; he assumes power to forgive the 
sins of the quick and dead; and to damn whom he 
wills. Tetzel, one of his indulgence merchants, in 
one of his harangues, is said to have made use of the 
following langua-e: "The Lord our God has ceased 
to reign, he has resigned all power to the pope." 
Similar language was made use of by another indul- 
gence peddler by the name of Samson. The apostle 
further describes the "man of sin" as follows: Whose 
coming is after the working of Satan with all power 
and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivable- 
ness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because 
they received not the love of the truth, that they might 
be saved.— Verses 9, 10. "With all power," signifies 
the great temporal power of the pope. We will 



28 THE CHURCH. 

explain this more fully hereafter in its proper place. 

Concerning the ''signs and lying wonders" of this 
prophecy, I would say, a simple record of the lying 
wonders of Romanism only is needed for explanation. 
Previous to the reformation of the sixteenth century, 
in the papists' h^use of worship at Wittemberg, railed 
by them the Church of All Saints, was shown a frag- 
ment of Noah's ark, some soot from the furnace into 
which the three Hebrew children were cast by the king 
of Babylon, a piece of wood from the cradle of Jesus 
Christ, some hair from the beard of St. Christopher, 
and nineteen thousand other relics of greater or less 
value. At Schaffhausen was exhibited the breath of 
St. Joseph which Nicodemus had caught in his glove. 
In Wurtemberg was seen an indulgence merchant, 
having his head adorned with a large feather, which 
he declared had been plucked from one of Michael's 
wings. See H Aubigiic s History of the Reformation, 
Book I, Chapt. j. 

Our good common sense tells us this was all pre- 
sumption. The manger which first served Jesus for 
a cradle, and all the rest of his cradles, if he had any 
more, are decayed long ago. Not a particle ot any 
of them can be produced, nor could have been at the 
time stated above. Nicodemus never caught any 
breath of St. Joseph. Michael has no wings or feathers, 
etc. The papists had a staircase at Rome, which they 
declared to be Pilate's, and had been transported from 
Jerusalem to Rome by miraculous power. Book H, 
Clta.pt. 6. 



PAPAL AGE. 29 

At Einsidlen was carefully preserved in a monas- 
tery, the image of the virgin Mary, which the papists 
declared to have the power of working miracles. 
Over the gate of the abbey, where this was kept, they 
wrote the following inscription: "Here a plenary 
remission of sins may be obtained." These horrid 
lies were so universally believed by the superstitious 
people of that age, that great throngs came on 
pilgrimage to Einsidlen, from all parts of Christen- 
dom; hoping thus to merit this grace at the festival 
of the virgin. Book VIII, Chapt. 5. 

Lies similar to these emanated from VVilsnack, near 
YVittemberg, in the days of John Huss, causing that 
place to be made a resort of pilgrims from all parts of 
Europe. See Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. XII, Page 
404. 

Many more of the lying wonders of Romanism 
might be recorded, but we believe we have said 
sufficient. We wish only to say in conclusion, that a 
record of them all would be a large volume in itself, 
and that .we have not mentioned the worst. We will 
now notice the prophecies of the apostasy in Paul's 
letters to Timothy. Now the Spirit speaketh ex- 
pressly, that in the latter times some shall depart 
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and 
doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having 
their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding 
to marry, and commanding to abstain trom meats, 
which God hath created to be received with thanks- 
giving of them that believe and know the truth. — 1 



30 THE CHURCH. 

Tim. 4. 1-3. This is a plain prophecy of the apostasy. 
The papists to this day hold the very false doctrines 
mentioned in it. They forbid the marriage of the 
clergy, and the eating of meats on certain days. Some 
of the Protestant sects also propagate these false 
ideas, even further than the Roman Catholics; c g., 
The Shakers forbid the marriage of both clergy and 
laity. The Seventh Day Adventists command con- 
tinual abstinence from pork. For the time will come 
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after 
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, 
having itching ears; and they shall turn away their 
ears from the tru^h, and shall be turned unto fables. 
— 2 Tim 4: 3, 4. We need not comment on this text, 
for all honest-hearted Bible readers acknowledge it 
most shockingly fulfilled in both Catholicism and 
Protestantism. A man needs nothing but a flattering 
knowledge of Babylon theology to be qualified to 
preach in either. 

We will next consider the parable of the tares. 
"The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man 
which sowed good seed in his field; but while he 
slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the 
wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was 
sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared 
the tares also. So the servants of the householder 
came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow 
good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it 
tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done 
this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then 



PAPAL AGE. 31 

that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; 
lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also 
the wheat with them. Let both grow together until 
the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to 
the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and 
bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the 
wheat into my barn." Matt. 13: 24-30. 

This parable has been generally understood to 
teach that in the church are both saints and sinners; 
where they shall dwell together until the end of time. 
But such an interpretation will not harmonize with 
the scriptures elsewhere. Isaiah prophesied that the 
members of the church should "be all righteous." 
Isa. 60: 21. Jesus taught that he came to make a 
division between saints and sinners. Luke 12: 51, 53. 
Paul forbids the saints to be unequally yoked with 
sinners. 2 Cor. 6: 14. He commands to have no 
fellowship with sinners. Eph. 5:7, 11. By reading 
further on in the chapter where the above parable is 
found we find that it puzzled the minds of Jesus' 
disciples; hence they "came unto him, saying, De- 
clare unto us the parable of the tares of the ^eld. 
Lie answered and said unto them, He that soweth 
the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the 
world; the good seed are the children of the king- 
dom; but the tares are the children of the wicked 
one. The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the 
harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are 
the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and 
burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this 



32 THE CHURCH. 

world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, 
and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things 
that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall 
cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wail- 
ing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous 
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. 

V. 36-43- 

From this interpretation we see that: I. The saints 
and sinners have been growing together in the world, 
not in the church. 2. The good seed represents the 
church of God, for it is made up of the children of 
the kingdom. I Cor. 12:27. Col. 1:24. The tares 
were sown after the good seed. Hence, they must 
represent the apostate church; as it is by far the 
most conspicuous institution the devil has invented 
in the Christian era. 4. The harvest is to be reaped in 
the end of the world. It represents the consumption 
of the " man of sin," with the spirit of God's 
mouth (gospel). 2 Thess. 2:8. We are now living 
in the end of the world; therefore the harvest time 
has come. The angel reapers signify God's messen- 
gers. Wilson's translation of Matt. 13:41, renders 
this harvest more comprehensible. "The Son of 
man will send forth his messengers, who will gather 
out of his kingdom all seducers and iniquitous per- 
sons." Such is in truth the spirit of the present day 
holiness reformation. 



PAPAL AGE. 33 

CHAPTER II. 

THE PAPACY FORETOLD AND DESCRIBED IN PROPHECY 
AND THE REVELATION. 

Daniel saw in a night vision four great beasts. 
The first was like a lion; the second like a bear; the 
third like a leopard; and the fourth was dreadful and 
terrible, diverse from all the rest, having great iron 
teeth, and ten horns upon its head. And while he 
considered the horns, there came up among them 
another little horn, before whom there were three of 
the first horns plucked up by the roots: and behold, 
in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a 
mouth speaking great things. See Dan. 7: 2-8. He 
says: "I beheld and the same horn made war with 
the saints, and prevailed against them; until the 
Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to 
the saints of the Most High; and the time came that 
the saints possessed the kingdom." Dan. 7:21, 22. 

This vision troubled Daniel, so he asked an angel 
its meaning. The answer was, "These great beasts, 
which are four, are four kings [kingdoms], which 
shall arise out of the earth." V. 15-17. These four 
kingdoms were the four universal monarchies that 
reigned one after another in ancient times. 

1. The Babylonian empire, B. C. 690-B. C. 538. 

2. The Medo-Persian empire, B. C. 538-B. C. 331. 

3. The Grecian empire, B. C. 331-A. D. 31. 

4. The Roman empire, A. D. 31-A. D. 476. 
Daniel then asked the angel for a more explicit 

interpretation of the fourth beast, whose teeth were 



34 THE CHURCH. 

of iron; and of the ten horns that were on his head, 
and of the other which came up, before whom three 
fell. Dan. 7: 19, 20. He replied, " The fourth beast 
shall be the fourth kingdom upon the earth, which 
shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour 
the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break 
it in pieces." V. 23. 

This kingdom (Roman Empire) reached the sum- 
mit of its glory about the time of Christ's birth, when 
its domain was so large that it was denominated "all 
the world." Luke 2:1. It was then ruled by Au- 
gustus Caesar, whose power was so great that it was 
said of him: "Notwithstanding a few nominal re- 
straints, he was an absolute sovereign, without any 
constitutional checks. It is not too much to say that 
his power was unlimited. He could do what he 
pleased with the property, the liberty, and the lives 
of every man, woman, and child of more than three 
hundred millions composing the Roman Empire. 
Such power no mortal had ever swayed before. 
Such power no mortal will ever sway again." See 
John S. C Abbott's History of Christianity, Page 12. 

The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings 
[kingdoms] that shall a"rise: and another shall arise 
after them, and he shall be diverse from the first, 
and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak 
great words against the Most High, and think to 
change times and laws: and they shall be given into 
his hand until a time and times and the dividing of 
time." V. 24, 25. The ten kingdoms represented 



PAPAL AGE. 35 

by the ten horns, were those that grew out of the 
Roman Empire. The following table shows their 
names and the date when each established a kingdom : 

1. Huns A. D. 356. 6. Suevi A. D. 407. 

2. Ostrogoths. " 377. 7. Burgundians. " 407. 

3. Visigoths... " 378. 8. Heruli " 470. 

4. Franks " 407. 9. Anglo-Saxons " 476. 

5. Vandals. . .. " 407. 10. Lombards. .. " 483. 

The eleventh king, represented by the little horn, 
was popedom. "The eyes like the eyes of a man," 
which the little horn had, denoted the sagacity, 
subtlety, and watchfulness by which popery spied 
out occasions of extending and establishing its in- 
terests, and advancing its exhorbitant pretensions. 
The court of Rome has ever been remarkable for 
this above all other states, as every person ac- 
quainted with its history knows. 

The three kingdoms subdued by the little horn 
were: 

1. The Heruli, subdued A. D. 493. 

2. The Vandals, subdued A. D. 534. 

3. Ostrogoths, subdued A. D. 538. 

The fulfillment of the prophecy that the little horn 
should " think to change times and laws" will be 
briefly comprehended in the following: "When the 
council at Nice met, A. D. 325, the vernal equinox 
fell upon the 21st of March. It had retrograded to 
the nth, when Pope Gregory XIII, in 1582, ordered 
ten days suppressed in order to restore the calendar 
to the Nicean standard; he further decreed that the 



36 THE CHURCH. 

centurial years should not be leap years except when 
divisible by four hundred, instead of four. * * * The 
Gregorian calendar was adopted by the Catholic 
countries of Europe at once; Scotland followed in 
the year 1600; the protestant states of Germany in 
1700, by the decree of the Diet of Ratisbon. By an 
act of Parliament the reformed calendar went into 
effect in Great Britain on the day following the 2d 
of September (which was dated the 14th), 1752. * * 
Russia still adheres to the Julian reckoning." — From 
John Walters Childeberfs Treasury of History, Page 419. 
We do not call in question the correctness of the 
above, but insert it simply to show the past dignity 
of the pope. " He was to 'think to change times and 
laws.' Hath not the papal power arrogated the pre- 
rogative of making times holy or unholy, contrary to 
the word of God? He hath commanded men every- 
where to abstain from meat and cease from work, 
when God required no such thing, and has multiplied 
his holy days till scarcely four of the six working 
days have been left for man's labor. At the same 
time he hath licensed intemperance and excess on 
his festivals and carnivals, and authorized licentious 
diversions on the Lord's own holy day. He hath 
pretended to change God's laws, or to dispense with 
obedience to them, that his own new laws might be 
observed; forbidding to marry, and licensing forni- 
cation, and many other things of this sort.' — Scott. 
He has indeed thought to change times and laws as 
no one else ever did." — Nelson on Infidelity. 



PAPAL AGE. 37 

The prophecy that the little horn should "make 
war with the saints, and prevail against them," has 
been fulfilled in the martyrdom of many millions of 
the people of God, at the instigation of the papists. 
An ex-Catholic priest says: " It is a fact, undeniable, 
that Romanism has been instrumental, in the devil's 
hands, in martyring at least sixty millions of God's 
people." Some may think this an exaggeration. 
Doubtless it is, unless we are to include the great 
number of the pagans who were inhumanly slaugh- 
tered by Roman Catholics. We will here insert 
the account of the papal persecutions in Spanish 
America, given in Fox's Book of Martyrs, Alta Edition. 

The bloody tenets of the Roman Catholic persua- 
sion, and the cruel disposition of the votaries of that 
church, cannot be more amply displayed or truly 
depicted, than by giving an authentic and simple 
narrative of the horrid barbarities exercised by the 
Spaniards on the innocent and unoffending natives 
of America. Indeed, the barbarities were such, that 
they would scarce seem credible from their enor- 
mity, and the victims so many that they would 
startle belief by their numbers, if the tacts were not 
indisputably ascertained, and the circumstances ad- 
mitted by their own writers, some of whom have 
even gloried in their inhumanity, and, as Roman 
Catholics, deemed those atrocious actions merito- 
rious, which would make a protestant shudder to 
relate. The West Indies, and the vast continent of 
America, were discovered by that celebrated navi- 



38 THE CHURCH. 

gator, Christopher Columbus, in 1492. This dis- 
tinguished commander landed first on the large 
island of St. Domingo, or Hispaniola,. which was at 
that time exceedingly populous; but this population 
was of very little consequence, the inoffensive in- 
habitants being murdered by multitudes, as soon as 
the Spaniards gained a permanent footing on the 
island. Blind - superstition, bloody bigotry, and 
craving avarice, rendered that in the course of years, 
a dismal desert, which, at the arrival of the Spaniards 
seemed to appear as an earthly paradise; so that at 
present there is scarce a remnant of the ancient 
natives remaining. 

The natives of Guatemala, a country of America, 
were used with great barbarity. They were formerly 
active and vigilant, but from ill usage and oppression 
grew slothful, and so dispirited that they not only 
trembled at the sight of fire-arms, but even at the 
very looks of a Spaniard. Some were so plunged 
into despair that after returning home from laboring 
hard for their cruel taskmasters, and receiving only 
contemptuous language and stripes for their pains, 
they have sunk down in their cabins with a full 
resolution to prefer death to such slavery; and in 
the bitterness of their anguish, have refused all 
sustenance till they perished. By repeated barbari- 
ties, and the most execrable cruelties, the vindictive 
and merciless Spaniards not only depopulated His- 
paniola, Porto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahama 
Islands, but destroyed above twelve millions of souls 



PAPAL AGE. 39 

upon the continent of America, in the space of forty 
years. The cruel methods by which they massacred 
and butchered the poor natives, were innumerable 
and of the most diabolical nature. 

The Spaniards stripped a large and very populous 
town of all its inhabitants, whom they drove to the 
mines, leaving all the children behind them, without 
the least idea of providing for their subsistence, by 
which inhuman proceeding six thousand helpless 
infants perished. Whenever the people of any town 
had the reputation of being rich, the order was im- 
mediately sent that every person in it should turn 
Roman Catholics; if this was not directly complied 
with, the town was instantly plundered and the in- 
habitants murdered; and if it was complied with, a 
pretense was soon after made to strip the inhabitants 
of their wealth. 

One of the Spanish governors seized upon a very 
worthy and amiable Indian prince, and in order to 
extort from him where his treasures were concealed, 
caused his feet to be burnt till the marrow dropped 
from his bones, and he expired through the extremity 
of the torments he underwent. In the interval 
between the years 15 14 and 1522, the governor of 
Terra Firma put to death and destroyed eight hun- 
dred thousand of the inhabitants of that country. 

Between the years 1523 and 1533, five hundred 
thousand natives of Nicaragua were transported to 
Peru, where they all perished by incessant labor, in 
the mines. 



40 THE CHURCH. 

In the space of twelve years, from the first landing 
of Cortez on the continent of America to the entire 
reduction of the populous empire of Mexico, the 
amazing number of four millions of Mexicans per- 
ished through the unparalleled barbarity of the 
Spaniards. To come to particulars, the city of 
Cholula consisted of thirty thousand houses, by 
which its great population may. be imagined. The 
Spaniards seized on all the inhabitants, who refusing 
to turn Roman Catholics, as they did not know the 
meaning of the religion they were ordered to em- 
brace, the Spaniards put them all to death, cutting 
to pieces the lower sort of people, and burning those 
of distinction." 

The above exhibits a horrid picture of cruelty, but 
it is merely a specimen of the accursed work carried 
on by the papists in many parts of the world for 
upwards of seven hundred years. Think of the 
victims of the papal bonfires in England under the 
reign of "Bloody Mary;" the bloody fields of Scot- 
land and the valleys of Piedmont; the gutters washed 
in the streets of Paris by the blood of the victims of 
St. Bartholomew's day, and of the countless victims 
of the inquisition in Spain and other European 
states. Well has it been predicted of popery, he 
" made war with the saints and prevailed against 
them." 

The reign of popery, in Daniel's vision, was limited 
to "a time, and times, and the dividing of time." "A 
time" signifies one year; "times" two years; and 



PAPAL AGE. 41 

"the dividing of time" a halt year; in all, three and 
one-half years, or forty-two months. Multiply forty- 
two by thirty, the number of days in a month, and 
we have twelve hundred and sixty days. Counting 
"each day for a year (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6), 
gives twelve hundred and sixty years for the papal 
reign. The real papacy was set up, not at the Nicean 
council, A. D. 325, as some affirm; but we find vivid 
traces of the very same beast authority as early as 
about A. D. 270. This position we will now proceed to 
prove by standard and authoritative ecclesiastical 
histories. 

d'aubigne. 

"The living church retiring gradually within the 
lonely sanctuary of a few solitary hearts, an external 
church was substituted in its place, and all its forms 
were declared to be of divine appointment. Salva- 
tion no longer flowing from the Word, which was 
henceforward put out of sight, the priest affirmed 
that it was conveyed by means of the forms they had 
themselves invented, and that no one could obtain 
it but by these channels." — P. 39. 

"As early as the three first centuries the metropoli- 
tan churches had enjoined peculiar honor. The 
council of Nice in its sixth canon mentions three 
cities whose churches, according to it, exercised a 
long established authority over those of the sur- 
rounding provinces: these were Alexandria, Rome, 
and Antioch."— P. 41. 

"The doctrine of the church and the necessity of 



42 THE CHURCH. 

its visible unity, which had begun to gain ground in 
the third century, favored the pretensions of Rome." 
— P. j8, History of The Reformation, B. I. C. I. 

J. NEWTON BROWN. . 

"At the end of the third century almost half the 
inhabitants of the Roman Empire, and of several 
neighboring countries, professed the faith of- Christ. 
About this time endeavors to preserve a unity of 
belief, and of church discipline, occasioned number- 
less disputes among those of different opinions, and 
led to the establishment of an ecclesiastical tyranny.' 
— Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. 

ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNIC A. 

The Encyclopaedia Britannica speaks thus con- 
cerning the Roman diocese: " Before the termination 
of the third century the office was held to be of such 
importance that its succession was a matter of in- 
terest to eccclesiastics living in distant sees." — Vol. 
XIX, P. 488. 

MOSHEIM, 3D CENTURY. 

"The form of ecclesiastical government that had 
been adopted by Christians in general, had now 
acquired greater degrees of stability and force, both 
in particulr churches, and in the universal society of 
Christians collectively considered. It appears in- 
contestable from the most authentic records, and the 
best histories of this century, that in the larger 
cities, there was at the head of each church a person 
to whom was given the title of bishop, who ruled 
this sacred community with a certain sort of authority, 



PAPAL AGE. 43 

in concert, however, with the body of presbyters, 
and consulting, in matters of moment, the opinion 
and voices of the whole assembly. It is also equally 
evident that in every province one bishop was 
invested with a certain superiority over the rest, in 
point of rank and authority. This was necessary to 
the maintenance of that association of churches that 
had been introduced in the preceding century; and 
contributed, moreover, to facilitate the holding of 
general councils, and to give a certain degree of 
order and consistence to their proceedings. It must 
at the same time be carefully observed that the rites 
and privileges of these primitive bishops were not, 
everywhere, accurately fixed nor determined in such 
a manner as to prevent encroachments and disputes; 
nor does it appear that the chief authority in the 
province was always conferred upon that bishop who 
presided over the church established in the metrop- 
olis. It is further to be noticed as a matter beyond 
all dispute, that the bishops of Rome, Antioch, and 
Alexandria, considered as rulers of primitive and 
apostolic churches, had a kind of pre-eminence over 
all others, and were not only consulted frequently in 
affairs of a difficult and momentous nature, but were 
also distinguished by peculiar rights and privileges. 
With respect, particularly, to the bishop of Rome; 
he is supposed by Cyprian to have had, at this time, 
a certain pre-eminence in the church; nor does he 
stand alone in this opinion. But it is to be carefully 
observed that even those who, with Cyprian, attri- 



44 THE CHURCH. 

buted this pre-eminence to the Roman prelate, in- 
sisted at the same time with the utmost warmth, upon 
the equality in point of dignity and authority that 
subsisted among all the members of the Episcopal 
order. In consequence of this opinion of an equality 
among all the Christian bishops, they rejected with 
contempt the judgment of the bishop of Rome, 
when they thought it ill founded or unjust, and 
followed their own sense of things with a perfect 
independence. Of this Cyprian himself gave an 
eminent example, in his famous controversy with 
Stephen, bishop of Rome, concerning the baptism 
of heretics, in which he treated the arrogance of that 
imperious prelate with a noble indignation and also 
with a perfect contempt. Whoever, theretore, com- 
pares all these things together, will easily perceive 
that the pre-eminence of the bishop of Rome was a 
pre-eminence of order and association, and not of 
power and authority. Or to explain the matter yet 
more clearly, the pre-eminence of the bishop of 
Rome in the universal church was such as that of 
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, in the African churches 
* * * The face of things began now to change in 
the Christian church. The ancient method of eccle- 
siastical government seemed in general still to sub- 
sist, while at the same time, by imperceptible steps, 
it varied from the primitive rule and degenerated 
toward the form of a religious monarchy. For the 
bishops aspired to higher degrees of power and 
authority than they had formerly possessed; and not 



PAPAL AGE. 4S 

only violated the rights of the people, but also made 
gradual encroachments upon the privileges of the 
presbyters. And that they might cover these usurpa- 
tions with an air of justice and an appearance of 
reason, they published new doctrines concerning the 
nature of the church, and of the episcopal dignity, 
which, however, were in general so obscure that they 
themselves seem to have understood them as little 
as those to whom they were delivered. * * * This 
change in the form of ecclesiastical government was 
soon followed by a train of vices, which dishonored 
the character and authority of those to whom the 
administration of the church was committed. For, 
though several yet continued to exhibit to the world 
illustrious examples of primitive piety and Christian 
virtue, yet many were sunk in luxury and volup- 
tuousness, puffed up with vanity, arrogance, and 
ambition, possessed with a spirit of contention and 
discord, and addicted to many other vices that cast 
an undeserved reproach upon the holy religion of 
which they were the unworthy professors and min- 
isters. This is testified in such an ample manner by 
the repeated complaints of many of the most respecta- 
ble writers of this age, that truth will not permit us to 
spread the veil which we should otherwise be desi- 
rous to cast over such enormities among an order 
so sacred. The bishops assumed in many places a 
princely authority, particularly those who had the 
greatest number of churches under their inspection, 
and who presided over the most opulent assemblies. 



46 THE CHURCH. 

They appropriated to their evangelical function the 
splendid ensigns of temporal majesty. A throne sur- 
rounded with ministers, exalted above his equals, the 
servant of the meek and humble Jesus; and sumptu- 
ous garments dazzled the eyes and the minds of the 
multitude into an ignorant veneration for their arroga- 
ted authority. The example of the bishops was am- 
bitiously imitated by the presbyters, who. neglecting 
the sacred duties of their station, abandoned them- 
selves to the indolence and delicacy of an effeminate 
and luxurious life. The deacons, beholding the 
presbyters deserting thus their functions, boldly 
usurped their rights and privileges; nnd the effects of 
a corrupt ambitionwere spread through every rank of 
the sacred order." — From Moslicinis History of TJiird 
Century, Part II, C/i. 2. 

The above is a very lengthy quotation, but it affords 
so many striking proofs of the point we are endeav- 
oring to prove, that justice to our readers would 
hardly allow us to abridge it. In fact we have stop- 
ped quoting before the author's stock of truths on 
this line were exhausted, but will briefly sketch the 
main points in what we have not quoted, below. You 
will observe that in the above Mosheim attributes to 
the third century the following changes in ecclesias- 
tical things; all of which, to this day, bear fruit in 
popery: 

1. One bishop in every province invested with a 
certain superiority over the rest in point of rank and 
authority. 



PAPAL AGE. 47 

2. The bishop of Rome exalted to a pre-eminence 
in the universal church, equal to that of Cyprian, 
bishop of Carthage, in the African churches. 

3. A change in the face of things in the Christian 
church; viz., the variation by imperceptible steps of 
the ancient method of ecclesiastical government from 
the primitive rule, and its degeneration toward the 
form of a religious monarchy. 

4. All the bishops aspired to a higher degree of 
power and authority than they had formerly possessed. 

5. New doctrines were published concerning the 
nature of the church, and of the episcopal dignity. 

6. The clergy were sunk into luxury, voluptuous- 
ness, and many other dishonoring vices. Further on 
in the chapter from which we have quoted, he shows 
that coincident with the above named changes, — 

7. Six new classes of ecclesiastical officers were 
added; viz., subdeacons, acolythi, ostiarii, readers, 
exorcists, and copiatae. 

8. The clergy introduced the indecent custom of 
keeping concubines. 

The above enumeration of changes in the third 
century indicates a great degeneration. What shall 
we call it but the papacy in all its fundamental ele- 
ments? We must, therefore, point to the third 
century, and not to the fourth, for the rise of popery. 

JOHN MARSH. 

"Almost proportionate with the extension of Chris- 
tianity was the decrease in the church of vital piety. 

A philosophizing spirit among the higher, and a wild 

3 



48 THE CHURCH. 

monkish superstition among the lower orders, fast 
took the_ place in the third century of the faith and 
humility of the first Christians. Many of the clergy 
became very corrupt, and excessively ambitious. In 
consequence of this there was an awful defection of 
Christianity." — Marsh's Church History, P. 185. 

WADDINGTON. 

"We have found it almost necessary to separate, 
and indeed widely to distinguish the events of the 
two first, from those of the third century, for nearly 
at this point are we disposed to place the first crisis 
in the internal history of the church." 

RUTTER, THIRD CEN. 

"This season of external prosperity was improved 
by the ministers of the church for the exertion of 
new claims, and the assumption of powers, with which 
they had not been previously invested. At first these 
claims were modestly urged, and gradually allowed; 
but they laid a foundation for the encroachments 
which were afterward made upon the rights of the 
whole Christian community, and for lofty pretensions 
to the right of supremacy and spiritual dominion." — 
P. K2. "Several alterations in the form of church 
government appear to have been introduced during 
the third century. Some degree of pomp was thought 
necessary." "The external dignity of the ministers 
of religion was accompanied by a still greater change 
in its discipline. The simple rules prescribed by the 
apostles for the preservation of good order in the 
church branched out into so many luxuriant shoots 



PAPAL AGE. 49 

that it was difficult to recognize the parent stem." P.JJ. 

"Many of the Jewish and pagan proselytes, who 
were really convinced of the truths of the Gospel, 
languished in the absence of ceremonies which are 
naturally adopted 'o the taste of the unreflecting 
multitude, while the insolent infidel hzug iti y in- 
sisted upon the inanity of a religion which was not 
manifested by an external symbol or decoration. In 
order to accommodate Christianity to these preju- 
dices, a number of rites were instituted; and while 
the dignified titles of the Jewish priesthood weie 
through a compliance with the prejudices of that 
people, conferred upon the Christian teachers, many 
ceremonies were introduced which coincided with 
the genius of paganism. The truth of the gospels 
were taught by sensible images, and many of the 
ceremonies employed in celebrating the heathen 
mysteries were observed in the institutions of Christ, 
which soon in their turn obtained the name of mys- 
teries, and served as a melancholy precedent for 
future innovations, and as a foundation for that 
structure of absurdity and superstition which de- 
formed and disgraced the church." — P. §6. 

The "season of external prosperity" of which 
Rutter speaks, properly begun with the accession of 
Gallienus, the son of Valerian, in A. D. 260, to the 
imperial throne. The hand of persecution thus stayed, 
was scarcely lifted against the church during the 
remainder of the third century. Previous to that 
date the church had suffered an almost incessant 



50 THE CHURCH. 

persecution for the space of fifty years. Persecution 
ranks among the blessings bestowed upon the saints 
of God. Mark 10: 28-30. It strengthens our faith, 
increases our reward in heaven; Matt. 5: 11, 12; and 
is a sure guard against lukewarmness. The church, 
therefore, being suddenly released from the tyranny 
of the pagans, became slothful, dilatory, and negli- 
gent, until universal lukewarmness prevailed; in 
which state the people could be easily led astray by 
the pretensions of Rome. Rome, whose piercing 
eyes are always quick to discern evil days, spied this 
chance to make herself pre-eminent. And it was at 
this unguarded moment that she established her 
claims, assumed her authorities, and made such 
alterations as truth will compel us to denominate 
" the rise of popery." Mosheim says the papacy 
rose "by imperceptible steps," but about this time 
these steps were taken so fast that when we who are 
saved in the evening light look back they appear 
perceptible. So the sunshine of religious tolerance 
which broke forth with the coronation of Gallienus, 
served only for the formation of ecclesiastical bliz- 
zards and cyclones which soon broke forth in fury 
upon the civilized world. The first of these ferocious 
papal storm.s struck Antioch about A. D. 270. 

EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS. 

Eusebius gives abundant proof, in his Ecclesi- 
astical History, of the supremacy of the Roman 
bishop in the days of Aurelian, Roman emperor, A. 
D. 268-275. He mentions one Paul, who was at this 



PAPAL AGE. 51 

time bishop of Antioch; who lived in luxury and 
licentiousness, and who was a teacher of erroneous 
doctrines, and usurped so great authority that the 
people feared to venture to accuse him. In the 
conclusion of the same chapter in which this is 
found, he shows that after a general council was 
held at Antioch, this Paul was excommunicated and 
robbed of his bishopric by the bishops of Rome and 
Italy; from this it appears that they possessed an 
authority still greater than that usurped by Paul. 
The following are his words: "Paul, therefore, hav- 
ing thus fallen from the episcopate, together with 
the true faith as already said, Domnus succeeded in 
administration of the church at Antioch. But Paul 
being unwilling to leave the building of the church, 
an appeal was made to the Emperor Aurelian, who 
decided most equitably on the business, ordering 
the building to be given up to those whom the 
Christian bishops of Italy and Rome should write." 
—Book VII, Chapt. jo. 

The Enclyclopaedia Britannica says this council at 
which Paul was excommunicated was held "probably 
in the year 268," and that " Paul continued in his 
office until the year 272, when the city was taken by 
the Emperor Aurelian, who decided in person that 
the church-building belonged to the bishop who was 
in epistolary communication with the bishops of 
Rome and Italy."— Vol. XVII/,P.42 9 . 

JOSEPH MILNER. 

"We shall, for the present, leave Anthony propa- 



52 THE CHURCH. 

gating the monastic disposition, and extending its 
influence not only into the next century, but for 
many ages after, and conclude this view of the state 
of the third century, with expressing our regret 'that 
the faith and love of the gospel received toward the 
close of it a dreadful blow from the encouragement 
of this unchristian practice.'" — Cent. HI, Qiapt.20. 

"Moral, and philosophical, and monastical instruc- 
tions will not effect for men what is to be expected 
from evangelical doctrine. And if the faith of Christ 
was so much declined (and its decayed state ought to 
be dated from about the year 270), we need not 
wonder that such scenes as Eusebius hints at without 
any circumstantial details took place in the Christian 
world." — Cent. IV, Chapt. 1. The reader can see from 
the above relations from ecclesiastical histories, es- 
pecially the last, that it is not presumption to locate 
the rise of Roman Catholicism at A. D. 270. And 
measuring from this date the twelve hundred and 
sixty years ascribed in Daniel's vision to the 
reign of popery, will reach to A. D. 1530, the pre- 
cise date *of the first Protestant league; viz., "The 
Schmalkald League;" and of the first two Protestant 
creeds, The Augsburg Confession, by the Lutherans, 
and the Tetrapolitan by the Reformed sect. We must 
point to this date both for the beginning of the 
decline and tall of the papacy, and for the rise of 
Protestantism. D'Aubigne, in his History of the 
Reformation, when he comes to this period employs 
the following words: "The conflicts hitherto de- 



PAPAL AGE. 53 

scribed have been only partial; we are entering 
upon a new period, that of general battles. Spires 
(1529) and Augsburg (1530) are names that shine 
forth with more immortal glory than Marathan, 
Pavia, or Marengo. Forces that up to the present 
time were separate, are now uniting into one ener- 
getic band." — Book XIII. Cliapt. 1. " The first two 
books ot this volume contain the most important 
epochs of the Reformation — the Protest of Spires, 
and the Confession of Augsburg." " I determined 
on bringing the Reformation of Germany and Ger- 
man Switzerland to the decisive epochs of 1530 and 
1 53 1. The History of the Reformation, properly so 
called, is then in my opinion almost complete in 
those countries. The work of faith has there at- 
tained its apogee: that of conferences, of interims, 
of diplomacy begins. * * * The movement of the 
sixteenth century has there made its effort-. I said 
from the very first, It is the history of the Reforma- 
tion and not of Protestantism that I am relating." 
— Preface to Vol. V. 

All historians acknowledge the period of 1529-30 
to be the decisive epoch of the sixteenth century 
reformation, and the events of this date really draw 
a line of distinction between the Papal Age and the 
Age of Protestantism. We will now notice another 
of Daniel's visions. " Then I lifted up mine eyes, 
and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a 
ram which had two horns: and the two horns were 
high; but one was higher than the other, and the 



54 THE CHURCH. 

higher came up last. And as I was considering, 
behold, a he-goat came from the west on the face of 
the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and 
the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And 
he came to the ram that had two horns * * * and 
ran unto him in the fury of his power. '* * * And 
smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there 
was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he 
cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him: 
and there was none that could deliver the ram out of 
his hand. Therefore the he-goat waxed very strong; 
and when he was strong the great horn was broken; 
and for it came up four notable ones toward the 
four winds of heaven. And out of one of them came 
forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great 
* * * even to the host of heaven; and it cast down 
some ot the host of the stars to the ground, and 
stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even 
to the prince of the host, and by him the daily 
sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanc- 
tuary was cast down. And a host was given him 
against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, 
and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it 
practiced, and prospered. — Dan. 8:3, 5-12. 

In the above vision the two-homed ram represents 
the Medo-Persian Empire, and the rough goat the 
Grecian Empire. — V. 20, 21, The notable horn be- 
tween the eyes of the goat represents Alexander the 
Great, first king of Grecia. — V. 21. The four notable 
horns that came up after the first was broken, repre- 






PAPAL AGE. 55 

sented the four kingdoms into which the Grecian 
Empire was divided after Alexander's death. The 
circumstance was as follows: Alexander had in his 
army four major-generals, Cassander, Lysimachus, 
Ptolemy, and Seleucus: who upon his death divided 
his dominions among themselves as follows: Cas- 
sander had Macedon and Greece in the west; Lysi- 
machus had Thrace and the parts of Asia on the 
Hellespont and Bosphorus in the north; Ptolemy 
had Egypt, Lydia, Arabia, Palestine, and Coela — 
Syria in the south; Seleucus had Syria and all the 
rest of Alexander's dominions in che east. 

The little horn which grew out of one of the four 
notable ones signifies popedom. The casting down 
of the stars to the ground is identical with the falling 
of stars mentioned in the prece'ding chapter. 

" The daily sacrifice," taken away by the little 
horn, was the praises from the lips of God's people. 
"I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall 
continually be in my mouth." Ps. 34: 1 " So will we 
render the calves of our lips." Hos. 14: 2. " By 
Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to 
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving 
thanks to -his name." Heb. 13: 15. Such oblation 
gradually ceased to be offered, as the darkness in- 
creased upon the earth under the apostasy. 

The casting down of the truth to the ground, was 
fulfilled by the papists in the wresting of the Holy 
Bible from the laity; and causing it to be wrapped 
in foreign languages, and chained to the pulpit, until 



56 THE CHURCH. 

it was translated into the language of the people, 
and restored to the laity by the reformers. 

The place of God's sanctuary, to be cast down by 
the little horn, is the church of the living God, 
which was for centuries bruised beneath the feet 
of popery. 

Let us now consider the angel Gabriel's inter- 
pretation of the little horn. "When the transgressors 
are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and 
understanding dark sentences shall stand up. And 
his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: 
and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper 
and practice, and shall destroy the mighty and the 
holy people. And through his policy also he shall 
cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall 
magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall de- 
stroy many: he shall also stand up Against the Prince 
of princes; but he shall be broken without hand.'' 
Dan. 8: 23-25. 

A better description of popery, in so few words, 
could scarcely be given in these days. All must 
acknowledge that the power once exercised by the 
pope was not his own, but that which he had stolen 
from many secular kings and princes, belonging to 
them by right of birth or election; and the fact that 
popery did destroy wonderfully many myriads of 
the mighty and the holy people is too clear to be 
denied by any one. All must admit also that the 
power of the papacy was broken without hand, that 
is, by the power of the Gospel. 



PAPAL AGE. 57 

We will now turn to the Revelation of St. John. 
Here we read: "And I stood upon the sand of the 
sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having 
seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten 
crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to 
death; and his deadly wound was healed; and all 
the world wondered after the beast. And they 
worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the 
beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who 
is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with 
him? And there was given unto him a mouth speak- 
ing great things, and blasphemies; and power was 
given unto him to continue forty and two months. 
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, 
to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them 
that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to 
make war with the saints, and to overcome them; 
and power was given him over all kindreds, and 
tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the 
earth shall worship him, whose names are not written 
in the book of lite of the lamb slain from the founda- 
tion of the world." Rev. 13: 1-8. 

We now turn to the seventeenth chapter. Here 
the revelator has a second vision of this beast, but 
this time a woman is sitting upon him. He relates 
his vision as follows: "And there came one of the 
seven angels, which had the seven vials, and talked 
with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show 
unto thee the judgment of the great whore, that 



58 THE CHURCH. 

sitteth upon' many waters. With whom the kings of 
the earth have committed fornication, and the in- 
habitants of the earth have been made drunk with 
the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away 
in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman 
sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of 
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And 
the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, 
and decked with gold, and precious stones, and 
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of 
abominations, and filthiness of her fornication. And 
upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, 
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OE 
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OE THE 
EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the 
blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs 
of Jesus, and when I saw her I wondered with great 
admiration." Rev. 17: 1-6. 

The great whore of the above vision represents 
the Roman Catholic sect; and the beast that carried 
her, the power of Roman Catholicism, or the papacy. 
Some have thought this beast represented Pagan 
Rome, or the Roman Empire; but such an inter- 
pretation is refuted by the revelator's own words: 
" Write the things which thou hast seen, and the 
things which are, and the things which shall be 
hereafter." Rev. 1:19. 

"Things which thou hast seen," in the above refers 
to the revelator's visions of the first chapter, and 
have no relation to things of the past. "After this 



PAPAL AGE. 59 

I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven: 
and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a 
trumpet talking with me: which said, Come up 
hither, and I will show thee things which must be 
hereafter." Rev. 4: 1. 

" And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful 
and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets 
sent his angel to show unto his servants the things 
which must shortly be done." Rev. 22:6. These 
texts clearly show that the book of Revelation is 
prophetic, and not historic; that it speaks of events 
occurring since, not previous to, the date when it 
was written (A. D. 96). 

It is, therefore, clearly seen that the Roman Em- 
pire, which arose B. C. 754, is not the beast of the 
revelator's visions. The error comes from confound- 
ing the beast of Rev. 13 and 17, with the fourth 
beast of Dan. 7, which does signify the Roman 
Empire. It is, perhaps, because both beasts have 
ten horns that they are thus confounded. It is 
evident that the ten horns of both beasts represent 
the same ten kingdoms, but the beasts are not 
identical, because, as we have before shown, the 
one in Revelation was to come up in the Christian 
dispensation. But, says one, How could the same 
ten kingdoms serve as horns for both Pagan and 
Papal Rome? I will show you. In Daniel's vision 
they appear as horns of Pagan Rome because they 
grew out of it. In the revelator's visions they appear 
as horns of Papal Rome because they gave their 



60 THE CHURCH. 

power unto it. Rev. 17: 13. If commentators will 
identify the ten-horned beast of Revelation with the 
eleventh horn of the fourth beast of Daniel's vision, 
they will make no mistake. This the reader will 
perceive if he observes how nearly the same words 
are employed by the two prophets in giving their 
descriptions. Compare Rev. 13 :— 8 with Dan. 7:8, 11, 

20, 21, 24, 25; 8:9-12, 23-25. 

Now notice the signification of the seven heads. 
The angel tells John: "The seven heads are seven 
mountains, on which the woman sitteth." Rev. 17: 9. 

The city of Rome, the headquarters of Roman 
Catholicism, we are told in history, is situated on 
seven mountains. The site afforded by them for a 
city is so magnificent, their scenery so beautiful, and 
their location so peculiar, that wise men of this 
world have ranked them among the seven wonders 
of the world. These are the seven mountains signi- 
fied by the seven heads. It is because they afford a 
foundation for the city which gave birth to that 
dreadful beast, that the book of Revelation denomi- 
nates them its heads. The wound the beast received 
was that effected by the Reformation of the sixteenth 
century. The sword by which he was wounded is 
the word of God. Eph. 6: 17. 

The Romish sect derives its name from the city of 
seven hills, because she is its birthplace; and is 
therefore called, "Roman Catholic Church." This is 
the name of blasphemy the revelator saw upon the 
Treads of the beast. 



PAPAL AGE. 6 1 

The leopard [spotted] appearance ot the beast 
signifies the atrocious crimes committed by the pa- 
pists; for spots in scripture, as a trope, represent 
sins. See Cant. 4: 7; Eph. 5: 27; 1 Tim. 6: 14; Jas. 
1: 27; 2 Pet. 3: 14. 

His bearlike feet signifies the cruel, tyrannical 
spirit of popery, which, during its reign, strove to 
choke down and destroy the truth and every thing 
that was good; for as much as a bear uses his feet to 
choke to death his prey. The dragon which gave the 
beast his power, his seat, and great authority, is the 
devil. Rev. 12: 9; 20: 2. 

The prophecy that the people should make war 
with the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? 
etc., is fulfilled in the papists' constant boast of the 
antiquity and greatness of their sect. 

The prophecy that a mouth should be given unto 
him speaking great things and blasphemies, has been 
fulfilled in the uttering of the following great blas- 
phemies by the mouth of the pope of Rome: 'T am 
king of kings, and lord of lords — holy father — Vice- 
gerant of the Son of God. I am infallible. I have 
power to dispense with God's laws, — to forgive sins, — 
to release from purgatory, — to damn, and to save." 
We might here insert an extract from one of the 
epistles of pope Gregory VII, of the eleventh century, 
as given in Mr. Formey's Ecclesiastical History, 
Vol. I, Page 190. "The pontiff of Rome alone has 
the right of taking the title of Universal. He alone 
can depose bishops, or re-establish them without the 



62 THE CHURCH. 

concurrence of any synod or convocation. It is not 
lawful for anyone to remain in the house with those 
he has excommunicated. He is the only one who 
can create new laws, as exigencies shall require. He 
alone has the right of investing himself with the 
imperial ornaments. All princes should kiss his feet. 
He is to be spoken of in churches by the name of the 
only pope in the world. He has the right of deposing 
emperors. No council can be called general without 
his order. No work shall pass for canonical but what 
bears his authority. No one can annul or change a 
sentence he has given: it is only he can do it. No 
person can be his judge. The Roman church never 
did err, and never can err. A pope who has received 
canonical ordination becomes holy by the merits of 
the apostle St. Peter. Whoever differs from the 
Roman church cannot be called a Catholic. The 
pope has the right of dispensing the subjects of a 
wicked prince from their allegiance; that is to say, 
those whom the holy see have condemned," etc. On 
page 237 of the same history we find an account of a 
bull published by Pope Bonifice VIII, against Philip, 
king of France. In the conclusion of which Bonifice 
affirmed, "that it was necessary to salvation to be- 
lieve, that every human creature was subject to the 
Roman Pontiff." 

These blasphemies will shock all who read them, 
except those whose feelings are so dull in holy things, 
that they are not moved at seeing a mortal pretend 
to all the attributes of Omnipotence. 



PAPAL AGE. 63 

The forty and two months that the beast was to 
reign, is equal to 1260 days; which calculating a day 
for a year [Ezek. 4: 6.], is equal to 1260 years. This 
exactly accords with the time ascribed to the reign 
of the little horn in Daniel's vision. 

The prophecy that the beast should "make war 
with the saints, and overcome them," was fulfilled in 
the great persecution of the "dark ages." The mar- 
tyrdom of God's saints was also foreshown in the 
revelator's vision of the great whore. He says: "I 
saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, 
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." The 
power given unto the beast "over all kindreds, and 
tongues, and nations," was the universal, tryannical, 
beast authority once usurped by popery. No king 
ever reigned over his own realm with greater tryanny 
than the pope once did over almost the entire 
civilized world. 

The "many waters" upon which the woman sat, 
also, foreshowed the extensive authority of popery. 
The angel tells John, they "are peoples, and multi- 
tudes, and nations, and tongues." Rev. 17: 15. Let 
us consider the number of the beast. Concerning 
this the angel says: "And there are seven kings: five 
are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; 
and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the 
eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdi- 
tion." Rev. 17: 10, 11. 

King in the above signifies a power. The seven 



64 THE CHURCH. 

kings were the seven powers that ruled in the Roman 
Empire one after another. Clark numerates them as 
follows: 

1. The Regal Power. 

2. The Dictatorship. 

3. The Power of the Praetors. 

4. The Consulate. 

5. The Triumvirate,. 

6. The Imperial. 

7. The Patriciate. 

The Imperial swayed the scepter at the time of 
John's vision; and you see that just five powers 
reigned before this one, and one came up after it. 
This clearly explains the angels words: "Five are 
fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come." 

The Patriciate is the one that should continue but 
"a short space." It reigned for about fifty-five years 
previous to the downfall of the Western Empire, A. 
D. 476. At this date popery had gained a permanent 
footing in Europe. Soon it grew into a great mon- 
archy, and became the eighth ruling Roman power, 
according to the angel's prediction. 

But some will wonder how the papacy could be 
the eighth and still be of the seven. By God's help 
we will explain this mystery. Papal Rome is none 
other than old Pagan Rohie re-organized and dressed 
in a different garb. Many of her rites are neither 
Jewish nor Christian, but borrowed from Paganism, 
some of which we shall mention hereafter. The 
realm over which the pope swayed his scepter, was, 



MiM 



PAPAL AGE. 65 

with little exception, the same as that over which the 
Caesars had reigned. And, as we have shown you 
before, the same ten kingdoms served as horns for 
both Pagan and Papal Rome. So you see the same 
beast existed first in a Pagan garb under the reign of 
the first seven forms of government; and afterwards 
under a Christian cloak became the eighth. 



CHAPTER III. 

WHERE WAS THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD DURING 
THE DARK AGES? 

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a 
woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her 
feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and 
she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and 
pained to be delivered. And there appeared another 
wonder in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, 
having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns 
upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of 
the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: 
and the dragon stood before the woman which was 
ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as 
soon as it was born. And she brought forth a 
man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of 
iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to 
his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, 
where she hath a place prepared of God, that they 
should feed her there a thousand two hundred and 
threescore days. — Rev. 12: 1-6. And to the woman 
were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might 



66 THE CHURCH. 

fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is 
nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, 
from the face of the serpent. — Verse 14. 

The dragon of the above vision signifies the devil. 
Verse 9; Rev. 20: 2. The won an signifies the church 
of God. The moon under her feet is the word of 
God upon which she stands. Eph. 2: 20. The sun 
with which she is clothed is the Spirit of God. Isa. 
30: 1. 

Some may take exceptions to this interpretation of 
the sun and moon, as we have interpreted them dif- 
ferently elsewhere. All such we wish to remind of 
the fact that words used metaphorically in the scrip- 
tures do not always have the same signification. For 
instance: the word "water". in Isa. 43: 2 represents 
affliction. In Jno. 3: 5 it represents the word of 
God. In Jno. 7: 38, 39 it is used to represent the 
Spirit of God. The twelve stars in the woman's 
Grown represent the twelve apostles. 

The wilderness into which she fled signifies the 
apostasy. The "time, times, and half a time" is equal 
to a year, two years and a half a year, or 42 months. 
See Dan. 4: 16, 23, 25. Multiply 42 by 30, the num- 
ber of days in a month, and w r e have 1260 days, the 
same time as that given in 6th verse. Each day 
represents a year, Ezek. 4: 6; hence we have 1260 
for the woman's concealment in the wilderness. This 
exactly accords with the length of the reign of the 
beast in Rev. 13: 5. The prophet Micah describes 
the wilderness in which the church should be fed, as 



PAPAL AGE. 67 

follows: Therefore night shall be unto you, that ye 
shall not have a vision; and it shall be dark unto you, 
that ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down 
over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over 
them. Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the 
diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their 
lips; for there is no answer of God. — Micah 3: 6, 7. 

The darkness through which the. church passed in 
the papal age, could not be better described than in 
the above words. Popery had taken the Bible away 
from the laity, leaving them in dense darkness, 
blindness, and superstition. The priests were nearly 
all illiterate men, and' could not read the Bible, for 
the few copies then existing were in the old Hebrew, 
Greek and Latin languages, which had fallen into 
disuse. Consequently they could not divine. Jesus 
Christ became so eclipsed that the people lost sight 
of him as a real Savior from sin. The church was so 
tyrannized that it could not show forth its light as in 
former days. Every time somebody would get hold 
of the Bible who was loyal enough to declare its 
truths unto the people, he was silenced by the pope. 
Thank God, those days are past. 

The papal reign of tyranny is explicitly foretold 
in the eleventh chapter of Revelation. "And there 
was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel 
stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, 
and the akar, and them that worship therein. But 
the court which is without the temple leave out, and 
measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and 



68 THE CHURCH. 

the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and 
two months." Verses I, 2. The holy city in the a- 
bove texts is the church, The 42 months have the 
same signification as in the tweltth chapter. The 
angel goes onto say: "And I will give power unto 
my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand 
two hundred and threescore days, clothed is sack- 
cloth: these are the two olive trees, and the two 
candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 
And if any may will hurt them, fire proceedeth out 
of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if 
any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be 
killed. These have power to shut up heaven, that it 
rain not in the days of their prophecy; and have 
power over waters to turn them to blood, and to 
smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they 
will." Verses 3-6. For centuries Babylonians have 
inferred from the above that the translated Enoch 
and Elijah should at some future time reappear upon 
the earth and spend y/ 2 years in the ministry of 
the gospel. But this is an erroneous interpretation. 
Zechariah, the prophet, saw in a vision, the same two 
olive trees mentioned above, and the angel of God 
told him they were the word and Spirit of the Lord. 
Zech. 4: 1-6. 

The 1260 days [years] of the Word and Spirit's 
prophecy in sackcloth signifies the reign of Popery, 
A. D. 270-1530. 

The sackcloth garments of the two prophets signify 
the melancholy state of the church in the days of 



PAPAL AGE. 69 

their prophecy. The shutting up of heaven to pre- 
vent rain must be taken in a spiritual sense; and we 
know that the papal darkness and superstition which 
arose upon the earth when the light of the Word and 
Spirit were withdrawn, did prevent the "showers of 
blessing" from falling as in former days. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE ORIGIN OF ROMANISM. 

We have shown the origin of the holy church of 
God; and how, and by whom she has been so shame- 
fully abused; and now it seems that we have come 
to the space that must be occupied by a treatise on 
the origin of the diabolical system of ecclesiasticism, 
which for so many centuries tyrannized the world. 
We will first write a negative treatise in which we 
will examine her principal tenets and features from a 
biblical standpoint, thus enabling the reader to clear- 
ly see that she is not of heavenly origin; and then 
by a brief affirmative treatise prove her of infernal 
origin. 

Despotism, bigotry, superstition and idolatry are 
the main features of Romish Catholicity. The most 
prominent, and perhaps the most diabolical, is des- 
potism. The history of the rise of Romanism is one 
of great variations. Becoming constantly more vile 
and superstitious, Rome soon made her round of false 
doctrines; then striking her incorporation lines, and 
staking down her creed in the greatest obstinacy, she 
declared herself as immutable as the God of heaven. 



70 THE CHURCH. 

Among the first lies she endeavored to establish, 
was that of the supremacy of the Roman bishop. To 
succeed in this she published the lie that Peter the 
apostle was the sole foundation of the church, and 
that he alone possessed the keys of God's kingdom, 
and had all power over the dead and the living, to 
forgive sins, etc. Furthermore, they affirmed that he 
was the first bishop of Rome, and had bestowed this 
power upon his successors, hence the pope was 
supreme. This horrid lie kept constantly growing 
until it claimed the pope infallible, which claim was 
backed with that of Peter's infallibility. Now before 
these claims can be proved genuine, the following- 
questions must be evidentially answered in the 
affirmative. 

1. Is Peter the foundation of God's church? 

2. Has he, or ever had he power to forgive sins? 

3. Was he infallible? 

4. Was he the first bishop in the church at Rome? 
We adhere to the negative of the above, and will 

now proceed to prove our position. 

Ans. to first: We will first see who was the 
foundation in the Old Testament. "There is none 
holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: 
neither is any rock like our God." 1 Sam. 2: 2. "Who 
is God save the Lord? or who is a rock save our 
Godr" Psa. 18: 31. "Moreover, brethren, I would 
not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our 
fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through 
the sea; and were all baptized unto M :>ses in the 



PAPAL AGE. yi 

cloud, and in the sea; and did all eat the same spir- 
itual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink; 
for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed 
them; and that rock was Christ." I Cor. 10: 1-4. 

These texts clearly teach that Christ was the rock 
of the Old Testament. If, therefore, he is not the 
rock and foundation in the New Testament, God has 
removed him and placed another in his stead. Let 
us examine the Bible to see how this is. We turn to 
Isa. 28: 16. Here we read: "Therefore thus saith 
the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation 
a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure 
foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." 
Zion in this text is a metaphor signifying the New 
Testament church. "The tried stone" that God was 
to lay in it for a foundation can mean none other 
than Christ, for we have just seen that he was tried 
as a foundation in the Old Testament dispensation. 

We will now turn to the New Testament. We 
read: "Other foundation can no man lay than that is 
laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3: 11. Why will 
men dispute about the foundation stone in the face 
of such a plain declaration in the word of eternal 
truth ? 

Let us now consider the words of Christ to Peter 
upon which the Romanists base their claim of Peter's 
supremacy. "And I say also unto thee, that thou 
art Peter [Greek Petros, a rock\ and upon this rock I 
will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not 
prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys 



72 THE CHURCH. 

of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou 
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and 
whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed 
in heaven." Matt. 16: 18, 19. 

Protestants in their zeal to straighten the papists' 
false interpretation of the above, fall to spiritualizing 
it to an extent that actually destroys its import. In 
verse 16 Peter testifies to Jesus: "Thou art the Christ 
the Son of the living God;" some Protestants, there- 
fore, hold that the word rock is a metaphor signifying 
the confession: "Thou art the Christ," etc. Others 
teach that Christ himself is the rock spoken of. But 
the language of the text will not admit either of 
these interpretations. The simplest explanation in 
this case is the orthodox one. "Thou art a rock, and 
upon this rock I will build my church," clearly im- 
plies that Peter is the very rock of the text. But 
this does not contradict Paul in 1 Cor. 3: 11; nor 
does it prove the other apostles to be no foundation 
stones; for the church is "built upon the foundation 
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself 
being the chief corner stone." P^ph. 2: 20; Rev. 21: 
14. All the apostles are foundation stones, and of 
course Peter is one of them. Christ did not single 
him out because he had any pre-eminence over the 
rest, but because his name Ceplias a rock, or stone,— 
which Christ had given him when he called him to 
the ministry, when speaking directly to him, called 
out such an expression. 

Christ is the underlying foundation of the whole 



PAPAL AGE. 73 

church, and the twelve apostles being the first chosen 
messengers to carry the gospel unto the uttermost 
parts of the earth, are foundations in the same sense 
that the sills of a house are foundations, lying upon 
a more substantial foundation of rock. Jesus' prom- 
ise to give Peter "the keys of the kingdom" does not 
prove his pre-eminence, for elsewhere he promised 
the same to all his apostles. "Verily I say unto you, 
Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in 
heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall 
be loosed in heaven." Matt. 18: 18. 

"The keys of the kingdom" signifies the power to 
"reprove, rebuke, exhort," and preach "the gospel 
with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven." All 
God's ministers have these keys, and are unto all men 
"a savor of life unto life or of death unto death:" 
that is, they loose all men for heaven, or bind them 
for hell, by preaching a gospel, which to obey is 
life, and to disobey is eternal death. 

Ans. to second: That any man should.ever ascribe 
to another the power of absolution, is but the out- 
come of the grossest superstition. The apostles 
never tried to exercise such power. When men 
came unto them inquiring, "What shall we do?" 
Their answer was, " Repent and be baptized every 
one of you." Acts 2: 38. " Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16: 31. Had 
they been bigoted papists they would have offered 
pardon for a gold and silver remuneration. 

There is one text in the Bible from which a mind 



74 THE CHURCH. 

bedimmed by superstition might infer that Christ 
gave his apostles power to absolve guilt. It reads 
as follows: "Whose soever sins ye remit they are 
remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain 
they are retained." John 20: 23. The meaning of 
this text is identical with those in Matt. 16:19; 18:18, 
which, as we have already shown, confer upon Christ's 
apostles and followers power and authority as in- 
struments in the hands of God for the salvation of 
souls. None of the apostles profess power superior 
to this in any of their writings. Bro. Peter, himself, 
in whom the papists pretend to see such great power, 
ascribes the power of redemption to "the precious 
blood of Christ." 1 Pet. 1:18,19. "Who his own 
self bare our sins in his own body on the tree." 
1 Pet. 2:24. In the fourth chapter of Acts of the 
Apostles we find him preaching Christ as follows: 
"This is the stone which was set at naught of you 
builders, which is become the head of the corner. 
Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is 
none other name under heaven given among men, 
whereby we must be saved." — V. if, 12. These texts 
afford abundant proof that Peter did not profess to 
have power within himself to forgive sins. Nor has 
ever any man since his day obtained such power. 
All such claims are horrid lies based upon vanity. 

Ans. to third: The claims of Peter's infallioility, 
which is the foundation of the voted dignity of Leo 
XIII, is more unreasonable than the one just con- 
sidered. God never promised to make him infallible. 



PAPAL AGE. 75 

Neither did he ever profess infallibility. -No early 
Christian writer knew anything about Peter's infalli- 
bility, or they surely could not have passed over it 
in silence. The claim is based solely upon traditions 
having their origin in the dark age of Romanism, 
and is so poorly constructed that it is easily over- 
turned by a little common sense and biblical 
enlightenment. If Peter had claimed infallibility I 
suppose he would have dropped such a profession, 
when he went to Antioch and was reproved by Paul 
for the great mistake he had made. See Gal. 2: 11-16. 
Ans. to fourth: Tradition stands alone in her 
testimony that Peter was the first bishop of Rome. 
Her records are not very creditable, as they are 
imperfect, obscure, and most commonly false. It 
was she who taught the post-deluvians that *Noah 
was their creator, and induced them to worship him 
as God. Consequently he was deified by the various 
nations of antiquity, under the following appella- 
tions: Satiirniis, Janus, Poseidon or Neptune, Tlwth, 
Hermes, Meenes, Osiris, Zetith, Atlas, Pometheus, 
Dciicalion, and Proteus. And she was accomplice to 
superstition in the seduction of the poor pagans to 
sacrifice their innocent offspring unto their false 
gods. In fact tradition played a prominent part in 
all pagan mythology. As a specimen of her large 
falsehoods we will insert Rutter's account of some 
of her records in the time of Herodotus. "The 
tradition was, in the time of Herodotus, that no god 
in the form of man had reigned in Egypt for upward 



76 THE CHURCH. 

of 11,340 years, a period which the active genius of 
their priests had taken care to fill up with events 
suited to the capacity and the taste of their disciples. 
During that period of miracles the sun had no less' 
than four times altered his course; twice rising 
where he now sets, and twice setting where he now 
rises." — Ratter s Church History, Page 11. 

The above needs no better refutation than its own 
unreasonableness. But we need not travel into an- 
tiquity to take a look at tradition's lies; we can view 
them upon the soil of "the new world." It was she 
who so shamefully mistaught the Salem colony on 
the subject of witchcraft, causing them to put to 
death ninety innocent persons as witches. And to 
this day she has not ceased to scatter her atrocious 
lies abroad. She tells men that witches can trans- 
form themselves into four-footed beasts for the 
purpose of committing crimes; that a horseshoe 
hung over a door will prevent them from entering 
thereat; and a thousand other falsehoods equally as 
absurd, even teaching little children frivolous stories 
about Scuita Clans, Easter Rabbits, etc. You see, 
dear reader, that tradition's character is very dis- 
reputable, therefore but little confidence can be 
placed in her words. 

I will now show you the obstacles which obstruct 
my faith in the tradition under investigation. Paul 
was at Rome when he wrote his second epistle to 
Timothy, A. D. 66. He closes the epistle with, 
4< Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and 



PAPAL AGE. 77 

Claudia, and all the brethren," etc. No mention is 
made of Peter. Surely if the renowned apostle had 
been at that time bishop of Rome,. he would have 
been mentioned among those who sent greeting to 
their brother Timothy. Tradition has Peter crucified 
with his head downward in A. D. 66 or 67. Hence 
it appears that Peter's Roman diocese is a myth. 

But there is a still greater hindrance to my faith 
in the Roman tradition. It is contrary to the 
evangelical spirit of Christianity, for Peter, who was 
ordained a traveling evangelist by the Lord, to have 
been afterwards, by the apostles, ordained a local 
bishop. We will not say, as some have intimated, 
that Peter never saw Rome. In all probability he 
did preach the gospel in that city. But he did not 
labor in the capacity of a local bishop, any more 
than the apostle John, who spent his last days at 
Ephesus. 

Rome did not stop with the supremacy of her 
bishop. But after through false claims this was 
established, she began to argue that the gospel 
sword had two edges, spiritual and temporal power, 
and to introduce the doctrine, so odious to all true 
hearted Christians, the union of church and state. 
Paul compares the word of God to a two-edged 
sword (Heb. 4: 12), but both edges are spiritual, for 
it is termed "Sword of the Spirit." Eph. 6: 17. 

It took some time to intoxicate the world upon 
such wine, but she at length succeeded in the 
establishment of this dogma early in the seventh 



78 THE CHURCH. 

century when her bishop was declared by secular 
authority, "Universal head of church and state.' 
But no union of church and state is taught in the 
Bible. A man once approached Jesus, saying, 
" Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the 
inheritance with me." Luke 12: 13. He replied in 
words which gave him to understand that He was 
only head of the church. " Man, who made me a 
judge or a divider over you?" He made him to 
know that he was solely engaged in salvation work, 
and would not dabble in state affairs. Again, in 
Pilate's judgment hall Jesus overturned all union of 
church and state, with the following words: "My 
kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were 
of this world then would my servants fight, that I 
should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my 
kingdom not from hence." John 18:36. The union 
of church and state is not only improbable, but 
utterly impossible. They have no affinity with each 
other; hence the impossibility of their courtship or 
marriage. They never have been united. That 
which heretofore wore such a garb has proven to be 
merely a union of the state with a sec f . The claim 
of such a union is a superstitious invention of the 
papists, hatched under the apostasy; and as far from 
Bible truth as the East is from the West. 

The union of church and state, notwithstanding its 
falsity, was for centuries by a blinded world generally 
acknowledged. This deception paved the way for 
Rome to deepen her colors with the fiendish claim 



PAPAL AGE. 79 

of the right to destroy heretics. Which claim led, 
early in the thirteenth century, to the appointment 
of inquisitors (more properly butchers), and the 
erection of slaughter houses, falsely called "The 
Holy Inquisition;" by means of which millions of 
pious people perished. Think of an institution 
claiming for its founder Him who hath said: " Love 
your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to 
them that hate you," etc., prizing human life so low 
as to murder all who oppose its teachings. Such, 
indeed, the Romish sect has been; and we are 
persuaded that the same sentiment lies concealed 
within her bosom today: and that she is only kept 
within the bounds of civilization by the restraint 
laid upon her by the God of heaven; namely, the 
secular authorities. Cruel as was the Inquisition, 
papists are proud of its ravages. One of their 
leaders regards it as a glorious substitute for the 
gifts of the Spirit in the primitive church. See In- 
quisition, Encyclopedia Britannic a. 

Another bigoted papist declared the Spanish 
Inquisition had been set up by inspiration of the 
Holy Ghost. Roman Catholics in general long for 
its re-establishment. Thank God! we need not tell 
the reader the Bible is against the Inquisition, for 
every body acquainted with the divine book knows 
that Jesus sent his church into the world, not to 
persecute, but to be persecuted. Mark 10:29, 30- 
"The weapons of our warfare are not carnal." 
2 Cor. 10:4. 



80 THE CHURCH. 

James and John were perhaps the first members of 
the church who conceived the idea of punishing 
offenders. On one occasion they asked permission 
to command fire to come down from heaven upon 
the people and consume them. Had Jesus granted 
their request, he would have laid a foundation for an 
inquisition. " But he turned and rebuked them, and 
said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's 
lives, but to save them." Luke 9: 55, 56. 

Let us now take a look at the bigotry of Roman- 
ism. Of all the sects in Christendom none is half so 
bigoted as that of Rome. Other sects, though 
diabolic in many respects, have highly esteemed 
that which Rome would readily sacrifice to maintain 
her tenets. Life, virtue, wealth, and the Bible are 
of little worth to her, if by sacrificing them she can 
widen her influence. It is her delight to domineer 
over nations and their rulers; hence, she will sacrifice 
all things for such a privilege. 

The Catholic immigrants in our country have taken 
the oath of allegiance, but are still citizens at heart 
of a foreign state. They are loyal subjects of the 
pope of Rome. They would at any time, if able, 
overthrow our excellent free government, and 
enslave this nation to the pope. In such a strike 
American-born Catholics would join them. And if 
papists ever get the reins of our government in their 
hands, there will be a time of trouble such as this 
nation has not hitherto experienced. 



PAPAL AGE. 8 1 

The best way to judge Rome is by her past history. 
And judging by the past, I wish .to know what there 
has been in her conduct in the last fifteen centuries 
to justify confidence in her to day. She is the same 
to day that she always has been. If her servants in 
England plotted to destroy Queen Elizabeth and 
all the lords of that nation by means of gunpowder 
(See Fox's Book of Martyrs), her American serfs are 
not too good to blow up our legislative halls by 
means of dynamite or nitro-glycerine, if they could 
destroy all the wise men of the nation in that way. 
If Pope Alexander III placed his foot on the neck 
of the emperor of Germany, Pope Leo XIII would 
gladly set his foot upon the neck of our president, 
legislators, and governors, and crush our free gov- 
ernment into oblivion. Rome will never reform. Her 
subjects are trained from infancy to be religious 
bigots. Therefore, beware of her intrigues, all ye 
nations. But to domineer over the nations and 
dethrone their rulers will not satiate Rome's desire 
for pre-eminence. She would long since have de- 
throned Almighty God were it in her power. Even 
this she feigned to do when she assumed the power 
to revise and repeal the laws of holy writ; to forgive 
sins, and sell tickets to heaven. Without controversy 
great is the bigotry of Romanism. 

We will next consider the superstition of Rome. 
All her rites and ceremonies are stained with it. 
There is not one unaltered Christian ordinance in 
her whole system of customs and practices. Con- 



82 THE CHURCH. 

sider the celibacy of her priests. Has this practice 
any other foundation than superstition? It originated 
among the pagans, who imagined the unmarried 
more highly favored of their gods than those in the 
married state. It was borrowed from them by the 
papists, who justify it with the superstitious notion 
that the living God has respect unto those who 
remain unmarried. This is an anti-Christ doctrine, 
nowhere sanctioned in the word of God. The very 
apostle claimed by the Romanists to be the founda- 
tion of their sect was a married man. Matt. 8: 14. 
So was Philip the evangelist. Acts 21:8, 9. 

Paul taught against the celibacy of the clergy, 
saying, " Have we not power to lead about a sister, a 
wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren 
of the Lord, and Cephas?" 1 Cor. 9: 5. "A bishop 
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife." 
I Tim. 3:2; Tit. 1:6. " Let the deacons be the 
husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their 
own houses well." 1 Tim. 3: 12. Let us now hear 
the teaching of the Son of God on this subject. 
Under his preaching on a certain occasion, his 
apostles conceived the idea that the marriage 
bond was so sacred a tie that men had better not 
enter into it. And when they said unto him, " It is 
not good to marry," the mind possessing all the 
treasures of wisdom and knowledge replied: " All 
men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom 
it is given. For there are some eunuchs which were 
so born from their mother's womb; and there are 



PAPAL AGE. 83 

some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men; 
and there be eunuchs which have made themselves 
eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that 
is able to receive it let him receive it." Matt. 19:11, 12. 

Among the papal priests are many who have not 
been made eunuchs by nature, men, nor grace; 
neither do they possess sufficient power of self- 
control to lead a strictly virtuous life, especially in 
their graceless state. Hence they adopt one of 
immorality and vice. The annals of the dark ages 
afford many specimens of such degradation. How 
much better it would be if all those oath-bound 
slaves of iniquity would follow the wise counsel of 
God's wojd, "If they cannot contain let them marry" 
(I Cor. 7:9), than to place their necks under the 
anti-Christ yoke of celibacy, and practice vices 
morally and physically so degenerating. 

We will now take a look at the papists' practice of 
doing penance. It is naught else than a pagan rite. 
The superstitious minds of the poor heathen ima- 
gined that self-torture would appease the wrath of 
their gods; hence it became a religious rite among 
them to ignominiously torture themselves in various 
ways. The Roman Catholics imagine that they must 
torture themselves according to the greatness of 
their crimes to bring down mercy from heaven upon 
them. It was this vain and superstitious notion that 
induced the whippers of Italy to march in processions 
through the streets, each with switch in hand troun- 
cing the one directly in front of him. Enlightened 



84 THE CHURCH. 

minds cannot be thus duped. Such practices can 
only exist where they originate, among those whose 
minds are darkened by superstition. 

We will next consider the use of holy water, so 
prominent in the papal worship. This practice, to 
enlightened minds exhibits a deal of superstition. 
None but a bedimmed and unenlightened mind will 
receive the flimsy excuses offered by the papal priests 
in defence of their holy water performances. Nor 
could those priests persuade any but a superstitious 
people to believe that the water used in those per- 
formances is holy. We need not appeal to the 
word of God in arguing the negative of this question, 
for the readers of the Bible all know that there is no 
mention of such a practice between its lids. The 
papists borrowed this practice also, from the pagans. 

The power of absolution claimed by the Romish 
clergy is another falsehood that could not be im- 
posed upon enlightened people. I am in possession 
of a Roman Catholic book entitled "The Poor Man's 
Catechism, or The Christian Doctrine Explained,' 
by John Mannock. In it I read: "We are to believe 
that in the church there is remission of sins, and that 
there is a real power given to the pastors of the 
church, of remitting them by the sacraments to all 
that repent." — P. 74. " So great is this benefit to the 
Christian soul, that there is no sin, though ever so 
heinous, no sins, though ever so numerous, though 
the sinner has remained ever so long in them, but 
what through the application of the sacraments of 



PAPAL AGE. 85 

baptism and penance may be forgiven." — P. 75. 
" Penance, then, is our only refuge, the only plank 
to save us after we have made a shipwreck of our 
conscience by sin." — P. 181. 

The first of the above quotations ascribes the pre- 
rogative of God toman. What is this but blasphemy? 

The second ascribes to the priests power to forgive 
every sin, instead of the Son of God, who taught 
that there were some unpardonable sins. Matt. 
12:31, 32. This is a plain fulfillment of what Paul 
prophesied concerning popery: "Who opposeth and 
exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that 
is worshiped." 2 Thess. 2: 4. 

The third is a plain denial of the Savior, hence a 
fulfillment of Peter's prediction: "There shall be 
false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in 
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that 
bought them." 1 Pet. 2:1. Rome denominates 
everything outside of her incorporation heresy, 
while she herself is the worst of all heresies. 

"0. What is the third precept of the church? 

A. To- confess our sins to our pastor at least once 
a year." — P. 140. 

Every individual pays for the absolution, which 
makes the coffers of the priests flourish, but fails to 
satisfy their covetous hearts. Hence they have in- 
vented a scheme that would make their portion 
fatter still, by teaching their poor blinded laity that 
certain punishments rested upon them for certain 
sins {penance), in addition to the above remunera- 



86 THE CHURCH. 

tion; but they could release them from it for an 
additional sum. This release from penance they call 
indulgence. 

" Q. Is there a power left by our Savior to the 
church, to release the temporal punishment or pen- 
ance d<ue to sin? 

A. There is; and it is implied in these words, 
Whatsoever yon shall loose on earth shall be loosed in 
heaven. Matt. 18: 18. 

O. What is this called? 

A. An indulgence."—/ 3 . 188. 

O God! is there no way of enlightening the 
blinded myriads who are being led down to hell by 
those papal hypocrites? Alas! we remember the 
words of thy inspired apostle, who when speaking 
particularly of the apostasy, has said: "Because they 
received not the love of the truth, that they might 
be saved. * * * God shall send them strong delusion, 
that they should believe a lie; that they all might be 
damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure 
in unrighteousness." 2 Thess. 2: 10-12. 

The sign of the cross, so extensively used by the 
papists, is another sign of the gross superstition in 
which they are engulfed. Let us see what the Poor 
Man's Catechism says about this foolish custom. 
"The sign of the cross is a mark to distinguish 
Christians from unbelievers. * * * Our forehead and 
breast were signed with the cross in baptism, and 
this we are taught to bear in our bodies all our 
lives. This holy sign is a means to preserve us from 



PAPAL AGE. 87 

evil spirits, who vanish at the sight of it. St. Law- 
rence by the sign of the cross restored sight to the 
blind; many miracles have been done by it; it arms 
us against temptation; it guards us against witchcraft 
and enchantments." — P. 5 and 6. 

How strange that a people will consider themselves 
the most enlightened people on earth, when they 
will maintain such sentiments as the above — senti- 
ments that would die of themselves anywhere but 
amongst the blindest people. The Roman Catholics 
do not profess to prove these superstitions by the 
Bible. They know very well the holy volume gives 
no account of the sign of the cross. All their 
arguments in its favor are based upon tradition and 
erroneous writings of church fathers. 

The papists, by considering the wickedness 
committed among themselves, would be taught of 
common sense, were they not under the stupefying 
influence of the spirit of anti-Christ, that they are 
not preserved from evil spirits, though they make 
use of the sign of the cross many times a day. They 
consider tradition's records as authoritative as sacred 
scripture. The Poor Man's Catechism says: 

" Q. Is it sufficient to believe the scripture only? 

A. No; we must also believe the traditions of 
the church." See how it defies Almighty God, who 
forbids us to add to, or diminish aught from his 
word. Prov. 30:6; Deut. 4:2. Let us now weigh 
the papal transubstantiation doctrine. On this The 
Poor Man's Catechism talks as follows: 



88 THE CHURCH. 

"Q. What is the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist? 

A. It is the body and blood of Jesus Christ, true 
God and man, under the forms of bread and wine. 

Q. In what manner is he there present? 

A. By the true and real presence of his divine 
and human nature, and not in figure only, as heretics 
would have it." 

Nothing in all the catalogue of Rome's dogmas 
exhibits the blindness and superstition existing in 
the minds and hearts of her subjects more than the 
above. A mind that will receive such teaching is 
capable of taking in any kind of deception. 

A Roman Catholic once acknowledged to me that 
the Eucharist had the form, taste, and appearance of 
bread. But still he affirmed that it was the real body 
of Christ. Now we know that the literal body of 
Christ is real human flesh, and has neither the form, 
taste, nor appearance of bread. How then can a 
rational people be induced to believe that a substance 
having the form, taste, and appearance of bread is 
the real body of Christ. They look at the wafer. It 
has the form and appearance of bread. The)' eat it. 
It tastes like bread. But because of their supersti- 
tious training they cannot believe the indisputable 
fact taught them by the senses God gave them. 
Hence, they still adhere to the old dogma, and 
pronounce it the body of Christ. The papists base 
their doctrine of transubstantiationupon these words: 
"This is my body" (Luke 22:19), which no more 
teaches it than other texts prove Jesus to be a literal 



PAPAL AGE. 89 

door (John 10:9); a literal vine (John 15:1); a 
literal rock (1 Cor. 10: 1-4). 

We will here leave off viewing the superstitions of 
Rome, and will fill a little space with a review of her 
idolatries. Webster tells us idolatry is the ''worship 
of idols." An idol, he says, is "an image worshiped." 
The sum of the two definitions is image worship. So 
we need only to mention the well known image 
worship so extensively practiced amongst the papists, 
to prove them idolaters. They worship them by 
bowing and doing obeisance to them, by offering 
prayers to them, etc. 

Idolatry has, however, a broader meaning than the 
one cited above. It includes all the worship of false 
gods. Hence, the papists are idolaters, because they 
worship Mary the mother of Jesus, and other dead 
saints. The Bible positively forbids us to worship 
any other than the true God. "Thou shall worship 
the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve." 
Matt. 4: 10. "And I fell at his feet to worship him. 
And he said unto me, See thou do it not; I am thy 
fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the 
testimony of Jesus: worship God." Rev. 19: 10. 
" And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, 
and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. But 
Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also 
am a man." Acts 10:25,26. "And when I had 
heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the 
feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not; for I am 



90 THE CHURCH. 

thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, 
and of them which keep the sayings of this book; 
worship God." Rev. 22:8,9. Paul an d Barnabas 
refused to be worshiped by the Lystraians. Acts 14:8-18. 

But the papists say they only ask the departed 
saints to pray to God for them. This is also for- 
bidden in the word of God. Jesus teaches us to 
pray only directly to the Father in his name. "And 
in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, 
I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father 
in my name, he will give it you." John 16: 23. 

With this we end our refutation of the doctrine of 
Romanism, for we are growing weary of our ramble 
in such a doleful wilderness. We have seen nothing 
but despotism, bigotry, superstition and idolatry 
since we set out on this tour. Our eyes hav'e not 
caught sight of one element of the kingdom of 
heaven. And, seeing ^hat Roman Catholicism is 
made up of just such elements as have no place in 
the kingdom of God, we are prepared to advance to 
a definite conclusion concerning its origin as far as a 
negative treatise demands. Romanism is not from 
heaven. For it cannot be that an institution so 
diabolic in every feature, emanated from the source 
of only good and perfect gifts. We will now step 
over on the other side and argue this question affirm- 
atively. There are, spiritually speaking, but two 
kinds of objects in existence; good and bad: two 
originators; God and the devil: two sources; heaven 
and hell. Therefore, if Roman Catholicism is not 



PAPAL AGE. 91 

a good institution it must be a bad one. If it is not 
of God, it must be of the devil. If it is not from 
heaven it must be from hell. But we need not fill up 
space with this subject, tor the Bible tells us the 
origin of the papal beast in few words. 

"The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and 
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit." Rev. 17:8. 

"The beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless 
pit" Rev. 11:7. The bottomless pit is identical 
with the "lake of fire" mentioned in Rev. 19:20; 
20:14, 15; 21:8; and *"he " everlasting fire" (Matt. 
25:41), and signifies the place of "everlasting pun- 
ishment." Matt. 25: 46. 

Of the power of popery we read: "The dragon 
gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority." 
Rev. 13:2. "And they worshiped the dragon which 
gave the power unto the beast." V. 4. The dragon 
is the devil. Rev. 12:9. In these texts it is clearly 
taught that the beast is from hell, and his power and 
authority from the devil. Further arguments are 
not required to prove him of infernal origin. 

The true history of the rise of Romanism is as 
follows: The corruptions and perversions of truth 
already brought in, lowered the standard of judgment 
executed by the clergy, which offered the pagans of 
the third century a Christian profession on verv easy 
terms. However, the half century of almost incessant 
persecution served as a restraint upon ungodly men 
who would clothe themselves with a Christian cloak. 
But this being stayed in A. D. 260, a pleasant oppor- 



92 THE CHURCH. 

tunity was offered the heathen to exchange one 
profession for the other. Hence the number of 
protessing Christians during the long season of 
tranquility rapidly increased, until their number 
doubtless exceeded two hundred millions. Many of 
the numerous converts received no change of heart, 
and were still pagans within. Thus, Heathen Rome, 
supposed by many to be overthrown, soon concealed 
herself under the garb of "Christian Rome." So 
Roman Catholicism, in reality, is but the dregs of 
Paganism, blackened with fresh soot from the bot- 
tomless pit. 




PART III, 



THE PROTESTANT AGE. A. D. 1530-1880. 




CHAPTER I. 

THE REFORMATION OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 
FORESHOWN IN THE REVELATION. 

"'E read that the beast received a deadly 
wound by the sword. Rev. 13: 3, 14. This 
prophecy was fulfilled in the reforma- 
tion of the sixteenth century, by means of 
which Romanism has been deprived of all 
temporal power and myriads of adherents. 
The Reformation, also, crushed the indulgence traffic, 
overturned the Inquisition, and inflicted in the beast 
various other serious wounds. 

And after nearly three hundred years of successive 
and unsuccessful warring to regain his former dignity, 
and driven from the field, the beast has retired within 
the Vatican at Rome, bruised, swollen, and bleeding. 
There he lies in great agony, filled with antipathy 
against the kings of the earth who have reduced him 
to such abasement. But it seems of late that the 

93 



94 THE CHURCH. 

devil has placed him under the care of his most skill- 
ful physicians, and has strong hopes of his recovery, 
which of course must be brought about to fulfill that 
which is written: "And the ten horns which thou 
sawest, upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, 
and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall 
eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath 
put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and 
give their kingdom unto the beast until the words of 
God shall be fulfilled." Rev. 17: 16, 17. This is 
another plain prophecy of the Reformation. These 
ten horns, as we have already seen, signify the ten 
kingdoms that grew out of the Roman Empire. 
History shows that these kingdoms did give their 
power unto popery until the Reformation. Since that 
time they have all turned protestant. 

In the sixteenth chapter of Revelation we read: 
"And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the 
seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of dark- 
ness; and they gnawed their tongues tor pain, and 
blasphemed the God of heaven, because of their 
pains and their sores, and repented not of their 
deeds." V. 10, 1 1. "And the seventh angel poured 
out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice 
out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, 
It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and 
lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such 
as was not since men were upon earth, so mighty an 
earthquake, and so great. And the great city was 
divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations 



PROTESTANT AGE. 95 

fell; and great Babylon came in remembrance before 
God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the 
fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, 
and the mountains were not found. And there fell 
upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone 
about the weight of a talent; and men blasphemed 
God because of the plague of the hail; for the 
plague thereof was exceeding great." V. 17-21. 

That these texts foreshow the Reformation of the 
sixteenth century is an indisputable fact. The vials 
of wrath signify the judgments of God. " The seat 
of the beast is a significative denomination of the 
city of Rome. Seat signifies headquarters, a place 
of authority, such as Rome has always been to the 
papal institution. Hence the applicability of the 
term. The pouring out of the fifth angel's vial upon 
it, represents the judgments of God poured upon 
Rome through the reformers. The Reformation called 
all the people of God out of Romanisn, leaving its 
kingdom full of darkness in fulfillment of the above 
prophecy. 

The dividing of the great city occurred in the first 
stroke of the Reformation, which knocked two pieces 
off of Romanisn (Lutheranism and Zwinglianism) 
leaving the mystic city in three parts.* The "voices, 
and thunders, and lightnings;" and the " great earth- 
quake," signify the great commotions caused by the 
preaching of the word of God in the Reformation. 
The falling of the great hailstones represents the 
sharp radical preaching of the reformers. 



96 THE CHURCH. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE REFORMATION OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY FORE- 
SEEN BY THE SATNTS IN CATHOLICISM. 

D'Aubigne, speaking of the spiritual condition of 
the church at the close of the fifteenth century, says: 
'■' The church already had a presentiment that the 
hour of combat was approaching. If more than one 
philosopher announced in some measure, during the 
last century, the revolution in which it closed, shall 
we be astonished that many doctors at the end of 
the fifteenth century had foreseen the approaching 
change that should regenerate the church?" I 
answer No; for it has always been a rule with our 
heavenly Father to apprise humanity of the most 
important events, especially those which concern 
his people, before they come to pass. 

God promised the children of Abraham the land 
of Canaan for their home several hundred years 
before they possessed it. He prophesied by the 
mouth of his prophet that Cyrus should take the 
city of Babylon, more than one hundred years before 
he was born. And when the time of fulfillment drew 
near, He forewarned the Babylonians by the mys- 
terious handwriting on the wall. He promised a 
Savior centuries before he sent him. And at the 
appointed time sent his angel to apprise Joseph, of 
His conception in the womb of the virgin, and the 
shepherds of His birth. He also revealed unto Simeon 
a short time previous to the birth of Jesus, "that he 
should not see death before he had seen the Lord's 



PROTESTANT AGE. 97 

Christ." Luke 2:25, 26. Indeed, had not God 
raised up somebody to foretell the Reformation, we 
had been very much surprised. 

The succeeding part of this chapter shall consist 
of quotations from ecclesiastical histories giving the 
testimonies of saints who prophesied of the sixteenth 
century Reformation in the last century of the 
papal age. 

JOHN HUSS. 

"John Huss preached in Bohemia a century before 
Luther preached in Saxony. He seems to have 
penetrated deeper than his predecessors into the 
essence of Christian truth. He prayed to Christ for 
grace to glory only in his cross, and in the inestima- 
ble humiliation of his sufferings. But his attacks 
were directed less against the errors of the Romish 
church than the scandalous lives of the clergy. Yet 
he was, if we may be allowed the expression, the 
John Baptist of the Reformation. 

The flames of his pile kindled a fire in the church 
that cast a brilliant light into the surrounding dark- 
ness, and whose glimmerings were not to be so readily 
extinguished. John Huss did more: prophetic words 
issued from the depths of his dungeon. He foresaw 
that a real reformation of the church was at hand. 
When driven out of Prague and compelled to wander 
through the fields of Bohemia, where an immense 
crowd followed his steps and hung upon his words, 
he had cried out: 'The wicked have begun by 
preparing a treacherous snare for a goose. But if 



98 THE CHURCH. 

even the goose, which is only a domestic bird, a 
peaceful animal, and whose flight is not very high in 
the air, has nevertheless broken through their toils, 
other birds, soaring more boldly towards the sky, 
will break through them with still greater force. 
Instead of a feeble goose, the truth will send forth 
eagles and keen-eyed vultures.' This prediction was 
fulfilled by the reformers. 

When the venerable priest had been summoned by 
Sigismond's order before the council of Constance, 
and had been thrown into prison, the chapel of 
Bethlehem, in which he had proclaimed the gospel 
and the future triumphs of Christ, occupied his 
mind, much more than his own defense. One night 
the holy martyr saw in imagination, from the depths 
of his dungeon, the pictures of Christ that he had 
had painted on the walls of his oratory, effaced by 
the pope and his bishops. This vision distressed 
him; but on the next day he saw many painters 
occupied in restoring these figures in greater number 
and in brighter colors. As soon as the task was 
ended, the painters, who were surrounded by an 
immense crowd, exclaimed, ' Now let the popes and 
bishops come! they shall never efface them more!' 
And many people rejoiced in Bethleham, and I with 
them, adds John Huss. 'Busy yourself with your 
defence rather than with your dreams,' said his faith- 
ful friend, the Knight of Chlum, to whom he had 
communicated this vision. 'I am no dreamer,' re- 
plied Huss, ' but I maintain this foi certain, that the 



PROTESTANT AGE. 99 

image of Christ will never be effaced. They have 
wished to destroy it, but it shall be painted afresh in 
all hearts by much better preachers than myself. 
The nation that loves Christ will rejoice at this. And 
I, awaking from the dead, and rising so to speak, 
from my grave, shall leap with great joy." — U Au- 
bigne's History of the Reformation, Book I y Chapt. 6. 

This bold witness for Christ was burnt at the stake 
July 6, 141 5, by Roman Catholics. When the fagots 
were piled up around him, ready for the torch, he 
said to the executioner, "You are now going to burn 
a goose (Huss signifying goose in the Bohemian 
language); but in a century you will have a swan 
whom you can neither roast nor boil." — See Fox's 
Book of Martyrs. 

Martin Luther had a swan for his arms, and must, 
therefore, have been the swan of Huss's prediction. 

HENRY IXSTITORUS. 

"Cardinal Andrew, archbishop of Crayn, being 
sent to Rome as the emperor's ambassador, was 
struck with dismay at discovering that the papal 
sanctity, in which he had devoutly believed, was a 
mere fiction; and in his simplicity he addressed 
Sixtus IV in the language of evangelical remon- 
strance. Mockery and persecution were his only 
answer. Upon this he endeavored, in 1482, to 
assemble a new council at Basle. 'The whole 
church,' said he, ' is shaken by divisions, heresies, 
sins, vices, unrighteousness, errors, and countless 
evils, so as to be nigh swallowed up by the devouring 



ioo THE CHURCH. 

abyss of damnation. For this reason we proclaim 
a general council for the reformation of the Catholic 
faith and the purification of morals.' The archbishop 
was thrown into prison at Basle, where he died. The 
inquisitor, Henry Institorus, who was the first to 
oppose him, uttered these remarkable words: 'All 
the world cries out and demands a council, but there 
is no human power that can reform the church by a 
council. The Most High will find other means, 
which are at present unknown to us, although they 
may be at our very doors, to bring back the church 
to its pristine condition.' This remarkable prophecy, 
delivered by an inquisitor at the very period of 
Luther's birth, is the best apology for the Reforma- 
tion." — D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation , Book 
I, Chapter 6. 

ANDREW PROLES. 

"Andrew Proles, provincial of the Augustines, who 
for nearly half a century presided over that congre- 
gation, and who, with unshaken firmness, maintained 
in his order the doctrines of St. Augustine, being 
assembled with his brethren in the convent of 
Himmelsforte, near Wernigcrode, used often to stop 
them while reading the word of God, and say: ' My 
brethren! ye hear the testimony of the holy scrip- 
tures. They declare that by grace we are what we 
are, and that by it alone we hold all that we possess. 
Whence then proceed so much darkness and such 
horrible superstitions? Oh my brethren! Christianity 
needs a bold and a great reform, and methinks I see 



PROTESTANT AGE. 101 

it already approaching.' Then would the monks cry 
out, 'Why do you not begin this reform yourself, and 
oppose such a cloud of errors?' 'You see, my 
brethren,' replied the aged provincial, 'that I am 
bent with the weight of years, and weak in body, 
and I have not the learning, ability, and eloquence, 
that so great an undertaking requires. But God will 
raise up a hero, who by his age, strength, talents 
learning, genius, and eloquence, shall hold the fore- 
most place. He will begin the Reformation; he will 
oppose error, and God will give him boldness to 
resist the mighty ones of the earth. "-Book /, Chapt. 6. 
The above was precisely fulfilled in Luther. 

JOHN HILTEX. 

"A monk named John Hilten was an inmate of 
the Franciscan convent at Eisenach in Thuringia. 
The prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation of St 
John were his especial study. He even wrote a 
commentary on these works, and censured the most 
flagrant abuses of the monastic life. The exasperated 
monks threw him into prison. His advanced age 
and the filthiness of his dungeon brought on a dan- 
gerous illness: he asked for a superior, and the latter 
had scarcely arrived before he burst into a violent 
passion, and without listening to the prisoner's 
complaints, bitterly abused his doctrine, ' that was 
opposed,' adds the chronicler, ' to the monks' kitchen.' 
The Franciscan, forgetting his malady and groaning 
heavily, replied: 'I bear your insults calmly for the 
love of Christ; for I have said nothing that can 



102 THE CHURCH. 

endanger the monastic state: I have only censured 
its most crying abuses. ' But,' continued he (accord- 
ing to what Melancthon records in his apology for 
the Augsburg Confession of faith), ' another man zvill 
arise in the year of our Lord 151:6: he will destroy y on, 
mid y oh shall not be able to resist him" — Book /, Chap. 6. 
This was fulfilled to the letter, for it was in 15 16 that 
Luther first attacked the dominion of the sophists 
and the papacy. — Book //, Chapt. g. 
Frederick's dream. 
"Having gone to bed last night, tired and dis- 
pirited, I soon fell asleep after saying my prayers, 
and slept calmly for about two hours and a halt. I 
then awoke, and all kinds of thoughts occupied me 
till midnight. * * * I then fell asleep again, and 
dreamt the Almighty sent me a monk, who was a 
true son of Paul the apostle. He was accompanied 
by all the saints, in obedience to God's command, to 
bear, him testimony, and to assure me that he did 
not come with any fraudulent design, but that all he 
should do was conformable to the will of God. 
They asked my gracious permission to let him write 
something on the doors of the palace-chapel at 
Wittemberg, which I conceded through my chan- 
cellor. Upon this, the monk repaired thither and 
began to write; so large were the characters that I 
could read from Schweinitz what he was writing. * 
The pen he used was so long thac its extremity 
reached as far as Rome, where it pierced the ears of 

*Schweinitz is situated about eighteen miles from Wittemberg. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 103 

a lion which lay there, and shook the triple crown on 
the pope's head. All the cardinals and princes ran 
up hastily and endeavored to support it. * * * I 
stretched out my arm: that moment I awoke with 
my arm extended, in great alarm and very angry 
with this monk, who could not guide his pen better. 
I recovered myself a little * * * it was only a dream. 
I was still half asleep, and once more closed my 
eyes. The dream came again. The lion, still dis- 
turbed by the pen, began to roar with all his might, 
until the whole city of Rome, and all the states of 
the holy empire, ran up to know what was the 
matter. The pope called upon us to oppose this 
monk, and addressed himself particularly to me, 
because the friar was living in my dominions. I 
again awoke, repeated the Lord's prayer, entreated 
God to preserve his holiness, and fell asleep. * * * I 
then dreamt that all the princes of the empire, and 
we along with them, hastened to Rome, and en- 
deavored one after another to break this pen; but 
the greater our exertions the stronger it became: it 
crackled as if it had been made of iron: we gave it 
up as hopeless. I then asked the monk (for I was 
now at Rome, now at Wittemberg), where he had 
got that pen, and how it came to be so strong. 
' This pen,' replied he, ' belonged to a Bohemian 
goose * a hundred years old. I had it from one of 
my old schoolmasters. It is so strong because no 
one can take the pith out of it, and I am myself 

*Huss. 



104 THE CHURCH. 

quite astonished at it.' On a sudden I heard a loud 
cry; from the monk's long pen had issued a host of 
other pens. I awoke a' third time; it was daylight." 
—Book III, Chapt. 4. 

Frederick, the elector of Saxony, related the above 
unto his brother John, the Duke of York, on the 
morning of Oct. 31, 15 17, declaring that he had 
dreamed it during the preceding night. The same 
day at noon, Martin Luther, who had already made 
up his mind, walks boldly towards the chapel at 
Wittemberg, and posts upon the door ninety-five 
theses or propositions against the doctrine of indul- 
gence. The events which followed were explicitly 
foreshown in the elector's dream. 

CATHERINE OF HOLZHAUSEN. 

D'Aubigne informs us that while Luther stopped 
at Frankfort on his way to attend the Diet of Worms, 
" Catherine of Holzhausen, a widow far advanced in 
years, and who served God, approached him and 
said: ' My parents told me that God would raise up 
a man who should oppose the papal vanities and 
preserve His word. I hope thou art that man, and 
I pray for the grace and Holy Spirit of God upon 
thy work.' " 






CHAPTER III. 

PROTESTANTISM FORESHOWN IN THE TYPES AND PRO- 
PHECIES OF THE BIBLE. 

We read in the eleventh chapter of Genesis that 
the post-diluvian race undertook the building of a 



PROTESTANT AGE. 105 

great tower, whose top. should reach unto heaven. 
But God came - down to visit the building, and 
confounded their language so they could not under- 
stand one another's speech. And they were obliged 
to stop building. After this they were scattered 
abroad upon the face of all the earth. This was a 
perfect type of the city of Sectism. The great tower 
typified the mystic tower of Roman Catholicism. 
Its visitation and the confounding of the builder's 
language, the Reformation. The scattering abroad 
of the builders, the great scattering of the people of 
God in Protestantism. 

We will now notice once more John's vision of 
the woman riding the scarlet-colored beast. Rev. 
17th chapter. He says she had upon her forehead a 
name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE 
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND 
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

Protestants agree with us that this great whore 
represents the Romish sect. They also acknowledge 
Roman Catholicism to be the mother of the Protest- 
ant denominations. Hear what Lorenzo Dow says: 
" We read not only of Babylon, but also of the 
whore of Babylon, styled the mother of harlots, 
which is supposed to mean the Romish church. If 
she be a mother, who are her daughters? It must 
be the corrupt national established churches that 
came out of her." The peculiar cosmopolitan pos- 
sessed light superior to many who regarded him a 
half-crazed crank. He walked apace with the light 



106 THE CHURCH. 

that shone in his day. Were he living to day he 
would doubtless see that if the older Protestant sects 
were Rome's daughters, all their younger sister sects 
are daughters of the same mother. 

A prominent Methodist of to day said in a tract 
some time ago: "The holy Catholic Church has 
many daughters, of which the Methodist Church is 
one." Many of the leading protestants are authors 
of similar expressions. Fox's Book of Martyrs is as 
strictly protestant as any book in existence, and it 
sometimes denominates the Roman heresy "the 
mother church." If Roman Catholicism then is the 
Babylon of Revelation, and the mother of all the 
Protestant sects, none can disprove the fact that the 
Protestant sects are the very harlots of Rev. 17:5. 

We will now notice another of the reyelator's vis- 
ions in which Protestantism is foreshown. "And I, 
beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and 
he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a 
dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first 
beast before him, and causeth the earth and them 
which dwell therein, to worship the first beast whose 
deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great 
wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from 
heaven on the earth, in the sight of men, and deceiv- 
eth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of 
those miracles which he had power to do in the sight 
of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, 
that they should make ah image to the beast which 
had the wound by the sword, and did live. And he 






PROTESTANT AGE. 107 

had power to give life unto the image of the beast, 
that the image of the beast should both speak, and 
cause that as many as would not worship the image 
of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, 
both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond' 
to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their 
foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save 
he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or 
the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him 
that hath understanding count the number of the 
beast: for it is the number of a man: and his number 
is six hundred threescore and six." 

Some commentators have supposed .this beast to 
represent the United States. But this interpretation 
is not sound; for the United States has no two horns 
[powers]. Her motto is E pluribus umnn\ a latin 
phrase signifying one of many ; that is, one republic 
comprising many states. And the United States has 
never brought down fire from heaven, nor ever will 
she. Neither has she ever marked her subjects in 
the right hands, or foreheads, forbidding all others to 
buy or sell. Neither does she exercise all the power 
of the first beast [popery]. Her realm lies within 
the narrow space of 3,500,000 square miles, while the 
pope was the world's emperor. 

The two-horned beast that St. John saw is naught 
else than Protestantism. The two horns signify 
Lutheranism and Zwinglianism, the two powers with 
which Protestantism started. 

Protestantism at present rules the world. The 



108 THE CHURCH. 

pope has been deprived of all temporal power by 
protestants. All the kingdoms over which the pope 
once reigned are now protestant states. So we may 
truthfully say, that in fulfillment ot the above pro- 
phecy, Protestantism exerciseth all the power of the 
first beast before him. The protestant sects have, in 
the past, been filled with holy men and women of 
God, who went forth to sacrifice and suffer for Christ; 
and God blessed their labors to the salvation of 
thousands of precious souls, which brought down 
great torrents of the Holy Spirit fire upon the earth. 
It was in this manner that the beast brought down 
fire from heaven. Protestants have not forgotten 
these good old times; and when they are reminded 
of the fact that Protestantism has lost her spirituality, 
they begin to argue in favor of her genuineness upon 
the grounds that God has in the past worked through 
his people in her. Thus they are deceived "by means 
of the miracles which he had power to do." Why 
doesn't somebody boast of what Protestantism is to 
day? Alas! they are ashamed of it. Or at least they 
ought to be. 

The image to be made to the first beast by Pro- 
testantism according to the description given above, 
is to be a persecuting tyranny, the consummation of 
which we have not yet seen. Doubtless the various 
babylon associations, especially those called holiness. 
are the prelude to this dreadful monstrosity; but the 
real image, in my mind, will be something tenfold 
more damnable than they. 






PROTESTANT AGE. 109 

This image can never grow out of any one sect; it 
must be a union of all, or at least the most of the 
protestant denominations. The growing sentiment, 
and the ever increasing desire of protestants to unite 
all their many schisms in one confederation, and the 
several attempts they have already made to execute 
this plan, are sure signs that the montrous image is 
to be introduced upon the stage .of action in the near 
future. The mark of the beast in the right hand and 
forehead, like the sealing of the servants of the living 
God in their foreheads, is not to be taken in a literal 
sense. It is a metaphoric expression, signifying all 
the customs and education of protestants contrary 
to the word of God. The Dunker, Amish, Mennonite, 
Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist and all other ites and 
ists are discerned upon an exhibition of their dress, 
education, and peculiar customs. Who is it that can 
not tell a Dunker by his long hair and flap pants? 
and his wife by the cut of her bonnet, her cape, and 
little white cap? Who cannot tell a Quaker by his 
broad-brimmed hat, his "thee" and "thy," etc.? Or the 
Amish man by his "hooks and eyes," and the way he 
shaves his face and shingles his hair? Surely, reader, 
you must confess they are well marked. If a man in 
the Dunker, Amish, or any of these legalistic sects 
gets a little unruly, or gets salvation, they put him 
in what they call " avoidance," after which they all 
turn the cold shoulder towards him, and will not 
buy of him, sell to him, work for him, hire him, or 
even eat with him. Under such rigor of fanaticism 



no THE CHURCH. 

the wife and children are often cut off from all 
association with husband and father, and the parents 
with children, and the children with each other, etc. 
Paul commands concerning the erring one: "Count 
him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a 
brother." 2 Thess. 3:15. If the course taken by 
these modern fanatics is not precisely the same as 
that usually employed by ungodly men toward their 
enemies, I do not know how the ungodiy treat their 
enemies. Nearly all sectarians act on a similar 
principle in these last days when somebody gets 
saved out of their sect. This is the fulfillment of 
the prophecy, " that no man might buy or sell, save 
he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or 
the number of his name." 

We will now consider the number of the two- 
horned beast. The revelator says, " His number is 
six hundred threescore and six." This number has 
a twofold signification. It is " the number of the 
beast;" also "the number of a man." We will first 
point out the man, after which we will explain the 
number of the beast. 

The pope of Rome wears in jeweled letters upon 
his miter the following inscription: Vicarius Filii Dei. 
By taking the letters out of this title which the latins 
used as numerals, giving each its numeral value, we 
have just 666. Both U and V were formerly used to 
denote five. » 

V - 5 

I 1 

C ,. ...,.., , 100 






PROTESTANT AGE. ill 

A o 

R o 

I i 

U 5 

S o 

F o 

I I 

L 50 

I 1 

1 1 

D . ... 500 

E o 

1 1 

Total 666 

From the above we clearly see that the pope is 
the man. Let us now consider the number 666 in 
reference to the second beast. It designates the 
number of the Protestant denominations. It is 
doubtless an approximate number, for such expres- 
sions are sometimes used in the scriptures. See 
Num. 1:46; 11: 21; Gen. 15: 13; Ex. 12:40. The 
revelator says, "Let him that hath understanding 
count the number of the beast." The fact that the 
number may be counted confirms our interpretation. 
We have been for the last two years and six months 
collecting a list of the Protestant sects, and will give 
the reader the benefit of our labors below. We have 
examined encyclopaedias, theological dictionaries, 
and every history within our reach that we thought 
would afford any information on this subject. It has 
been our endeavor to exclude from this list all sects 
that are not Protestant; for we understand that the 

5 



U2 THE CHURCH. 

number 666 applies only to Protestantism. We have 
some that existed before the protestant age, but 
only such as are of protestant sentiment. Should 
our readers find any in this list that are not such, we 
humbly ask them to consider it an oversight on our 
part, and for their individual benefit exclude it 
from the list. 

PROTESTANT DENOMINATIONS. 

1. Abelians. A little sect in England. 

2. Abstemii. A European sect. 

3. Adessenarians. A branch of the Sa'cramen- 
tarians. 

4. Adiaphorists. 

5. Adoptionists. A Spanish sect of the eighth 
century, who maintained that Jesus Christ was the 
adopted son of God. 

6. Adventists, or Millerites. Founded in 1844 
by William Miller. 

7. African Methodist Episcopal. Organized in 
Philadelphia, in 1816. 

8. African Methodist Episcopal Zion. Organ- 
ized in New York, in 1820. 

9. AgapjEMONians. Founded in England, by Mr. 
Prince, in 1845. 

10. Ainsworthites. A sect in Holland, founded 
by Henry Ainsworth. 

11. Alascani. A sect of anti-Lutherans, founded 
in Poland, in the sixteenth century, by John Alasco. 

12. Albigenses. A sect of the twelfth century. 

13. Allenites. A little sect founded 111 Nova 



. PROTESTANT* AGE. 113 

Scotia in the eighteenth century, by Henry Allen. 

14. American Presbyterians. Founded at the 
beginning of the late war. 

15. American Unitarian Association. Founded 
in 1825. 

16. American Wesleyan Connection (Non-Epis- 
copal). Offshoot of Methodism. 

17. Amish. A small sect founded by Jacob Amen. 
♦ 18. Ammanites. A branch of the Mennonites in 
Switzerland, organized in 1620. 

19. Amsdorfians. Founded in the sixteenth cen- 
tury by Amsdorf. 

20. Anabaptists, or Munster Baptists. Founded 
in the sixteenth century by Munzer. 

21. Anti-Baptists. A sect in Ireland. 

22. Anti-Mission Baptists. A small daughter of 
the Baptist family. 

23. Antinomians. Founded by John Agricola, 
about A. D. 1538. 

24. Anti-Sabbatarians. They deny the observ- 
ance of a sabbath. 

25. Anti-Talmudists. A sect of Jews, founded in 
1756, in Podolia (Polish Russia), "whose profession 
of faith," says a historian, " was almost Christian," 
therefore they are entitled to a place in this list, as 
such deformity is common among the daughters 
of Babylon. 

26. Antitrinitarians. 

27. Antosiandrians. A sect of rigid Lutherans. 

28. Apostolici, or Apostolic Brethren. A sect 



ii4 THE CHURCH. 

founded in the district surrounding Cologne, about 
the middle of the twelfth century. 

29. Apostolics. A sect which sprung up in Italy 
under the auspices of Gerhard Segrarella, in the 
thirteenth century. 

30. Apostoqlians. A sect founded in the seven- 
teenth century, by Samuel Apostool. 

31. Aquarians. 
32.ARMiNiANS.FoundedbyArminius,aboutA.D.i6oo 

33. Arnoldists. A sect founded in the twelfth 
century, by Arnold of Bresia. 

34. Associate Presbyterians. An offshoot of 
Presbyterianism in Scotland; organized in 1733, by 
Ebenezer Erskine and others. 

35. Associate Reformed Presbyterians. Foun- 
ded in 1782. 

36. Associate Reformed Synod of New York. 
A little daughter of Presbyterianism, organized 
about 1858. 

37. Associate Reformed Synod of North Amer- 
ica. This sect, like the Associate Reformed Syrrotl ' 
of New York, was made up of persons who declined 
the union of the Associate and Associate Reformed 
sects in 1858. 

38. Associate Reformed Synod of the South. 
A young daughter of Presbyterianism in the South- 
ern states. 

39. Association Methodists. Organized in 1835. 

40. Australian' Methodists. Independent since 
1876. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 115 

41. Baptists, Calvinist. 

42. Baptists. Offshoot from the Millerites. 

43. Baptists of America. Founded in Rhode 
Island by Roger Williams. 

44. Baptists (Means). | These are the names 

45. Baptists (Anti-Means) ) of two quarrelsome 

little Baptist daughters in Ohio. 

46. Barlaamites. Founded in the fourteenth cen- 
tury, by Barlaam. 

47. Barnabites. Founded in the sixteenth century 
by three Italian gentlemen. 

48. Baxterians. Followers of Richard Baxter. 

49. Beghards. In the end of the twelfth century. 

50. Behmenites. A sect of mystics founded in the 
sixteenth century, by John Behmen; now extinct. 

51. Bereans. Offshoot from Kirk of Scotland, 
organized in 1773, by J. Barclay. 

52. Berengarians. Founded by Berengarious in 
the eleventh century. 

53. Bible Christians. A sect founded in the 
United States by Wm. Cowherd. 

54. Bible Christians, or Bryanites. A Me- 
thodist daughter in England, founded by Wnr 
O'Bryan. 

55. Biddelians. A sect founded in 1644, by 
John Biddel. 

56. Bohemian Brethren. A branch of the 
Hussites. 

57. Borrellists. Organized in Holland by Borrel. 

58. Bourignonists. Founded in France in the 



"6 THE CHURCH. 

seventeenth century, by Antoinette the Bourignon 

59. Brahmo Samaj. A sect in India repudiating 
the idolatry of Brahminism, founded in 1838. Some 
might not consider this sect a protestant institution, 
but in my mind it is very doubtful if it had ever 
been born, had protestant missionaries never 
reached India. 

60. Brethren of the Chelcic. A branch of the 
Hussites, founded by Peter Chelcicky. 

61. Brethren of the Free Spirit. A mediae- 
val protestant sect. 

62. Brethren of the Full Spirit. Another of 
the same kind. 

63. Brighamites. A branch of Mormons, by 
Brigham Young. 

64. British and Foreign Unitarian Associa- 
tion. Organized in England in 1825. 

65. British Wesleyans. A Methodist branch in 
Great Britain. 

66. Brownists. A dissenting sect of Puritans, 
founded in the sixteenth century by Robert Brown. 

67. Buchanites. Founded in Scotland, in 1783, 
by Mrs. Elspeth Buchen. 

68. BudNjEANs. Founded in Poland by Budnaeus, 
in 1584. 

69. Buguines. Founded in The Netherlands, in 
mediaeval times. 

70. Bulgari. A branch of the Paulicians, founded 
in the twelfth century. 

71. Cadiradelites. A sect believing in both 



PROTESTANT AGE. 117 

Jesus Christ and Mahomet, the Bible and the Koran; 
truly one of the abominations ot the earth. 

72. Calixtines. A branch of Hussites in the 
fifteenth century. 

73. Calvinistic Methodists. Organized in Oneida 
County, N. Y., in 1826. 

74. Cameronians, or Old Presbyterian Dis- 
senters. A branch of Presbyterianism in Scotland; 
organized in 1666, by Richard Cameron. 

75. Cameronites. A calyinistic sect in France, 
organized by John Cameron. 

76. Caputiati. A sect of the twelfth century. 

77. Carbonari. A modern politico-religious sect, 
recently sprung up in Italy. 

78. Cathari. A branch of the Paulicians in the 
twelfth century. 

79. Catholic Apostolical Christians. A sect 
founded in Germany by John Czerski, in 1844. 

80.. Cellites. Arose early in the fourteenth 
century. 

81. Christadelphians. A sect recently started 
in England by an ex-Baptist preacher named Watts. 

82. Christians. A sect of this name arose in 
North Carolina, in 1793. Two other sects of the 
same name arose in other parts of the United States 
about the same time. 

83. Christians. An offshoot from the Presby- 
terians about A. D. 1800. 

84. Christians. An offshoot from the Baptists in 
about 1800. 



n8 THE CHURCH. 

By the consolidation of the last three named sects 
early in the present century, another was formed, 
called: 

85. Christian Connection. 

86. Christian Alliance, or Fourfold Gospel- 
ites. A sect recently founded in New York City, 
by A. B. Simson. 

87. Christian Israelites. Organized in 1822. 
So mimed from their carrying out the real principles 
of Jewish circumcision. 

88. Christian Union. A little American sect. 

89. Christian Perfectionists. 

90. Christo-Sacrum. A sect founded at Delft, 
in Holland, in 1801, by Onder de Wingaard. 

91. Church of God in Christ Jesus. A little 
American sect founded by one Howard. 

92. Churches of Christ. A sect organized in 
Fremont County, la., Dec. 29, 1886. 

93. Church Methodists. A little Methodist 
daughter in Ireland. 

94. Clementines. A French protestant sect 
founded by a monk by the name of Clement. 

95. Cluffites. A branch of the Plymouth Breth- 
ren, founded by Mr. Cluff. 

96. Cocceians. A sect founded in the seventeenth 
century by John Cocceius. 

97. Collegians, or Collegian rs. A sect founded 
in Holland, in the beginning of the seventeenth 
century. It was once divided, therefore we add 
another of the same name. 



PROTESTANT AGE. ng 

98. collegiants. 

99. Colored Methodist Episcopal Church of 
America. Organized in 1872. 

100. Congregationalists. Founded by John 
Robinson. 

101. Congregational, or Independent Metho- 
dists. 

102. consistoriaus (covenanters of france). 
A daughter of the French Presbyterian sect, born 
soon after the massacre of St. Bartholomew's day. 

103. Cornarites. Followers of Theodore Cornhert. 

104. Counter -Remonstrants. Organized about 
1610. 

105. Cumberland Presbyterians. Organized in 
1810. 

106. Daleites. Founded in Scotland by David 
Dale. 

107. Dancers. A sect that sprung up in Flanders 
during the last century. 

108. Daniel's Band. By Mrs. Woodworth. 

109. Davidists. A sect founded by David of 
Dinant, about the close of the twelfth century. 

1 10. Davidists. Another sect by this name was 
founded about the outburst of the Reformation, by 
David George. 

in. Derbyites. A sect in Ireland. 

112. Dutch Reformed. Founded in Holland, by 
William of Warsaw, in 1573. 

113. Deutch Reformed. An American sect, 
founded in New York, about 16 ig. 



120 THE CHURCH. 

114. Disciples of Christ, or Campbellites. 
Founded by Alexander Campbell, about 1827. 

115. Dorrelites. Founded in Massachusetts by 
Dorrel, in the beginning of the present century. 

116. Drabicians. The followers of a pretended 
prophet in Hungary, about A. D. 1630, by the name 
of Drabicious. 

117. Dulcinists. Founded in the fourteenth cen- 
tury, by Dulcinus. 

118. Dunkers, or Tunkers. This sect was foun- 
ded in Germany by Alexander Mack, of Schwartze- 
nau, about 1708. It has recently fallen in three 
pieces, hence we add two more of the same name. 

119. Dunkers, Conservative. 

120. Dunkers, Progressive. 

121. Easter's Reformed Presbyterian Synod. 
A bunch of Presbyterianism in Ireland. 

122. Effronites. " Founded in 1534. 

123. Egleyites. An offshoot of Amishism. 

124. Energici. A sect of the sixteenth century. 

125. English Presbyterians. A branch of Pres- 
byterianism. 

126. English Seventh Day Baptists. Founded 
in 1650. 

127. Eonians, or Eonites. A sect founded by 
Eon, a wild fanatic of the twelfth century. 

128. Eoquinians. Founded in the sixteenth cen- 
tury, by Eoquinus. 

129. Ephrata Baptists. A daughter of the 
Dunkers. 



PROTECTANT AGE. 121 

130. Episcopalians. The established sect of 
England, founded in the sixteenth century, by King 
Henry VIII. 

131. Erastians. Founded in the sixteenth century 
by Erastus. 

132. Eutychian sect; also called Aphthardo- 
cites. 

133. Evangelical Church. A union of the 
Lutherans and Calvinists in Prussia, Baden, Wurtem- 
berg, and several other German states, in 181 7. 

134. Evangelical Union. A small body of the 
present century, in Scotland, commonly called 
Morrisonians, from James Morrison their leader. 

135. Evangelical Alliance. Founded in London 
in 1846. 

136. Evangelical Association, or Albright 
Methodists. Founded in Pennsylvania by Jacob 
Albright, in 1800. 

137. Evangelical Mennonites. Founded in 
Pennsylvania in 1853. 

138. Evangelical United Mennonites. Founded 
in 1879. 

139. Evangelical Friends. An offshoot from 
the Friends in England. 

140. Evangelical Society of Geneva. A body 
of dissenters from the Swiss sect. 

141. Family of Love. Founded in Holland in 
1555, by Henry Nicholas. 

142. Farnovians. A daughter of the Socinians, 
founded in 1568 by Stinislaus Farnovius. 



122 THE CHURCH. 

143. Fifth Monarchy Men. Founded in 1645, 
by Thomas Venner. 

144. Flacians. A sect of the sixteenth century, 
founded by Matthias Flacius Illyricus. 

145. Flandrians. A branch of Mennonites. 

146. Flemingians. An offshoot of the Anabap- 
tists in the sixteenth century. 

147. Followers of Christ. A very peculiar 
sect in Kansas and Indian Territory. 

148. Fratres Albati. A sect of the sixteenth 
century. 

149. Free Church of Scotland. A branch oi 
Presbyterians in Scotland. 

150. Free Christian Baptists. A little Baptist 
daughter in Nova Scotia. 

151. Free Baptists. An American Baptist 
daughter. 

152. Free Communion Baptists. A sect founded 
by Robert Hall, in about 1800. 

153. Free Congregations. A sect of Free 
Thinkers in Germany. 

154. Free Thinking Christians. Another sect of 
Free Thinkers, calling themselves the Church of 
God. 

155. Free Will Baptists. Founded in 1780, in 
New Hampshire, by Benjamin Randall. 

156. Free Methodists. Founded by B. T. Rob- 
erts, in i860. 

157. Free Religious Association. A branch of 
the Unitarians in the United States; founded in 1865. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 123 

158. Free Church of Italy. An Italian daugh- 
ter of Babylon. 

159. Free Thinkers. A schism of the Trinita- 
rian Universalists in London. 

160. French Presbyterians. A sect organized 
in France, in 1559, by Antoine Chandier. 

161. French Prophets. Organized in 1688. 

162. Friends of God. Organized in the four- 
teenth century, by Nicholas of Basel. 

163. Ft. Scott Sect. A young American daugh- 
ter of Methodism. 

164. Galenists. A daughter of the Mennonite 
sect, founded by Galen. 

165. General Associate Synod. A branch of 
Presbyterianism in Scotland, founded in 1747. 

166. General Baptists. Founded in England, in 
1606, by John Smyth. 

167. General Baptists. An American Baptist 
daughter, founded in Indiana in 1823, by Elder 
Stimson. 

168. German Catholics. A sect of dissenters 
from Romanism; founded in Germany in 1844. 

169. German Evangelical Union of the West. 

170. German Methodists. Founded in 1800. 

171. German Reformed Sect. Founded in the 
sixteenth century, by Ulric Zwingli. 

172. German Reformed in the United States. 
Founded in Pennsylvania, in about 1740. 

173. German Seventh Day Baptists. A daughter 
of Dunkerism, founded by Conrad Beissel, in 1730. 



I2 4 THE CHURCH. 

174. Glassites. Founded in Scotland in the 
eighteenth century, by John Glass. 

175. Gortonians. Organized in New England, by 
Samuel Gorton, in 1643. 

176. Gospellers. It is said that a distinct sect 
existed under this name in the time of the Re- 
formation. 

177. Halcyons. A little American sect founded 
in 1802. 

178. Haldanites. A daughter of the Kirk of 
Scotland; founded by Robert and James Alexander 
Haldane. Now extinct. 

179. Harmonists. Organized in Wurtemberg, in 
1780, by George Rapp. 

180. Hattemists. A modern Djutch sect founded 
by Pontian Van Hattem. 

181. Haugianer, or Laser (i. e. Readers). A 
branch of the Lutherans in Norway founded in the 
latter part of the eighteenth century, by Hans 
Nielsen Hauge, 

182. Heavenly Recruits. A little American sect 
of recent organization. 

183. Henricians. Founded in the twelfth century 
by a monk named Henry. 

184. Hicksite Quakers. Offshoot from the Qua- 
kers, founded in 1827, by Elias Hicks. 

185. Hoffmanists. A small sect founded in the 
sixteenth century, by Daniel Hoffman. 

186. Holiness Evangelist Church. Founded at 
Moundsville, West Virginia, in 1881, bv Thatcher, 



PROTESTANT AGE. 125 

187. Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. A 
little daughter of Babylon in England. 

188. Hopkinsians. Organized probably by Sam- 
uel Hopkins. 

189. Horebites. A branch of the Hussites. 

190. Huguenots, or Calvinists. Organized in 1560. 

191. Hutchinsonians. Organized about 1700, by 
John Hutchinson. 

192. Illuminati, or Alombrados. Founded in 
Spain about the year 1520. 

193. Illumines. Founded in Picardy, in 1623. 

194. Illumines. Another sect of this name arose 
in the south of France, in 1722. 

.195. Ingramites. Founded in the eighteenth 
century, by B. Ingram. 

196. Independents. Founded in England under 
the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 

197. Independent Presbyterians. In Wales. 

198. Independent Protestant Church. Founded 
in Ireland, about 1600. 

199. Irish Presbyterians. A little Presbyterian 
offshoot, organized in New England, in 1718. It 
became extinct in 1765. 

200. Irvingites. A sect organized in 1832, by 
Edward Irving, partly. 

201. Irish Presbyterian Church. A branch of 
Presbyterianism in Ireland. 

202. Jansenists. Founded in France in 1640, by 
Cornelius Jansen. 

203. Jerusalem Friends. A German sect founded 



/26 THE CHURCH. 

in 1854, by Christian Hoffman, whose father had 
been a sect organizer more than thirty years earlier. 

204. Joachimites. Followers of Joachim in the 
twelfth century. 

205. Johnsonians. Founded in England in the 
eighteenth century, by John Johnson. This sect 
must not be confounded with the Johnsonites of 
Holland. 

206. Johnsonites. Founded in Holland, by 
Francis Johnson. 

207. Josephites. An offshoot of Mormonism by 
Joseph Smith, Jr., in 1844. 

208. Jumpers. A daughter of Methodism, organ- 
ized about 1760, in Western Wales. 

209. Keithians, or Baptist Quakers. Offshoot 
from the Quaker sect; organized in Pennsylvania in 
1691, by George Keith. 

210. Kellyites. An offshoot from the Plymouth 
Brethren; organized in 1881, by Mr. Wm. Kelly. 

211. Kirk of Scotland. Founded in 1689 

212. Knipperdolings. Founded in the sixteenth 
century, by Bertrand Knipperdoling. 

213. Koreshites. A little American sect recently 
organized by Cyrus Teed. 

214. Labbadists. A sect of the seventeenth cen- 
tury, founded by John Labbadie. 

215. Lady Huntington's Connection. A branch 
of Methodism in Britain. 

216. Lampetians. A sect founded in the seven- 
teenth century, by Lampetius. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 127 

217. Landisites. A branch of Dunkers in 
Indiana. 

218. Latitudinarians. A sect founded in the 
seventeenth century, by Hales and Chiilin^worth. 

219. Leoxists. A sect of reformers in the twelfth 
century. 

220. Leucopetrians. A secft founded in the 
twelfth century, by Leucopetrius. 

221. Libertines. Founded by Copenand Quinton 
in 1545.. 

222. Lollards. A sect which arose in Germany 
about the beginning of the fourteenth century. 
Their chief leader was Walter Lollard, from whom 
they were named. This sect must Jiot be con- 
founded with the Lollards of England. 

223. Louises. A sect in Western United States. 

224. Lutherans. Founded by Martin Luther 
in 1530. 

225. Lutheran, General Synod. 

226. Lutheran, General Council. 

227. Lutheran Synodical Conference. 

228. Lutheran United Synod of the South. 
The four last named are American daughters of 
Lutheranism. 

229. Mackenty Brothers. Organized at Dun- 
ville, Ont., in 1886, or 1887, by Peter Mackenty, 
principally. 

230. Materialists. Founded in the eighteenth 
century by Dr. Priestly. 

S:M^cKi^U 0ftheMennoniteFamiIy - 



128 THE CHURCH. 

233. Mennonites. Founded in Holland by Menno 
Simon, in 1536. 

234. Mennonite Brethren in Christ. A young 
Mennonite daughter. 

235. Methodists. The name of a sect in the 
seventeenth century. This organization is not to be 
confounded with the one that grew out of the Wesleyan 
Reformation. 

236. Methodist Episcopalian Sect. Organized 
by Philip Ambury, in 1766. 

237. Methodist Church % of Canada. Founded 
in 1874. 

238. Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada. 
Re-organized in 1834. 

239. Methodist Society. Organized in 1820. 

240. Methodist Church. A daughter of the 
Methodist Protestant Sect, born 1867. 

241. Methodist Protestant Sect. Organized 
in England, in about 1828. 

242. Momiers. A daughter of Babylon recently 
born. 

243. Monothelites. Suppressed in the latter 
part of the seventeenth century. 

244. Mormons, or Latter Day Saints. Founded 
by Joseph Smith in 1830, at Manchester, N. Y. 

245. Moravian Brethren. A branch of the 
Hussites, organized in 1457. 

246. Morrisites. A branch of Mormons. 

247. Mount Zion, or Church of the Living 
God. Organized by Hancock, about 



PROTESTANT AGE. 129 

248. Muggletonians. Organized in England, in 
165 1, by Lodowicke Muggleton. 

249. Neonomians. 

250. Neutral Brethren. A" branch of the Ply- 
mouth Brethren, of Congregational resemblance, 
founded in 1848. 

251. New and Latter House of David, or 
Disciples of the Flying Roll. A sect of the 
current century, founded in England, by James 
Jezreel. 

252. New Connection of Wesleyan Methodists, 
or Kilhamites. Founded in 1797, by Alexander 
Kilham. 

253. New Connection General Baptists. A 
Baptist daughter in England. 

254. New Eight Burghers. A branch of the 
Seceders. 

255. New Light Anti-Burghers. A branch of 
Seceders. • 

256. New Mennonites. Organized in 1875. 

257. New School Presbyterians. Founded by 
Alber Barnes, in 1838. 

258. New Side Presbyterians. A Presbyterian 
faction older than New School. 

259. Newtonites. A daughter of the sect called 
Plymouth Brethren. 

260. Nonconformists. 

261. Non-Subscribers. A daughter of fhe Pres- 
bytery of James Island, born 1731. 

262. Northern Indiana Eldership. Offshoot 



130 THE CHURCH. 

from the Winebrennarians, organized in 1875. 

263. Old Catholics. A young, energetic daughter 
of the Mother of Harlots, born 1869. 

264. Old Light Anti-Burghers. A branch of 
the Seceders. 

265. Old Light Burghers. Another branch of 
the Seceders. 

266. Old Light Seceders, or Original Sece- 
ders. An insignificant faction of an old secession 
sect in Scotland. 

267. Old School Presbyterians. Organized in 1838. 

268. Old School Synod of Missouri. A young 
seceding body of Presbyterians in Missouri. 

269. Old Side Presbyterians. Organized in 
Philadelphia, in 1706. 

270. Original Seceders. A small branch of 
Presbyterians in Scotland. Not to be confounded 
with the Old Light Seceders. 

•271. Othlibenses. A heretical branch of the 
Waldenses. 

272. Orthodox Congregationalists. Founded 
in England in 1853, by Robert Brown. 

273. Orthodox Friends, oe Quakers. Founded 
by George Fox, in 1650. 

274. Osiandrians. An offshoot from Lutheranism 
organized by Andrew Osiander in 1550. 

275. Osgoodites. Founded in New Hampshire, 
by Jacob Osgood, in 1812. 

276. Particular Baptists. A Baptist daughter 
in England. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 131 

277. Pasaguinians. A sect of the twelfth century. 

278. Paterenl A branch of the Paulicians in 
the twelfth century. 

279. Paulicians, A sect founded by one Mr. 
Constantine in the latter part of the seventh century. 
One of Rome's first born. 

280. Perfectionists, or Oneida Community. A 
sect in New England, organized in 1838. 

281. Petrobrussians. Followers of Peter De 
Bruis, a reformer of Languedoc in the eleventh 
century. 

282. Petrojoanites. Founded in the twelfth 
century by Peter Joannis. 

283. Petzelians. A modern sect founded by 
Petzel, a priest of Brennau. 

284. Picards. A sect of pre-Reformation reformers 
in Bohemia, founded by Picard. 

285. Pietists. Organized in Germany about 1670, 
by Philip James Spencer. 

286. Philippists. Followers of Philip Melancthon. 

287. Philadelphian Society, or Leadlyans. 
Founded in England, about the beginning of the 
eighteenth century, by Jean Leadly. 

288. Planet Church. A little sect recently or- 
ganized in Georgia. So named because of their 
peculiar belief, that when they die they will be 
transported .to one of the planets, where they will 
die again and pass to another, and so on until they 
reach Heaven. 

289. Plymouth Brethren. Also called Darby- 



132 THE CHURCH. 

ites. Founded at Plymouth, England, about 1830. 

290. Polish Unitarians. A 'sect organized in 
Poland, in 1565. 

291. Pomorians. A modern Russian sect, who 
believe that anti-Christ is now reigning. 

292. Positivists. A sect organized in Paris about 
the middle of the current century by Auguste Comte. 

293. Practical Christian Republic. Organized 
in Massachusetts in 1840, by Adin Ballou. 

294. Presbyterians in United States of Amer- 
ica. A daughter of Presbyterianism. 

295. Presbyterians in The Netherlands. Foun- 
ded in 1563. 

296. Presbyterians in the United States. Off- 
shoot from Scotch Presbyterians, organized in 1703. 

297. Presbyterian Reunion. A union of the Old 
and New School Presbyterians, in 1869. 

298. Presbyterian Church (South). Organized 
in 1861. 

299. Presbyterians in- the Carolinas. A little 
American Presbyterian daughter of the seventeenth 
century. 

300. Presbytery of James Island. A Presby- 
terian daughter, organized in 1722-23. This sect 
became known as subscribers after she bore a daugh- 
ter called Non-Subscribers. 

301. Presbytery of Salem. A Presbyterian 
offshoot, organized at Salem, in 1745. 

302. Presbytery of the -Eastward. Organized 
at Boothbay, Me., in 1771. 



PROTEST AN! AGE. 133 

303. Presbytery of Grafton. A Presbytery of 
the Puritan type, organized at Grafton, New Hamp- 
shire; independent from 1776 to 1796. 

304. Primitive Holiness Commission. A machine 
recently tinkered up in Michigan, by S. B. Shaw. 

305. Primitive Methodists. A sect organized 
in England, in 1810, by Hugh Bourne and William 
Clowes. 

306. Primitive Wesleyans. Founded in Ireland, 
in 1816. 

307. Progressive Friends. Founded in 1855. 

308. Progressive Mennonites. 

309. Protestant Episcopal Sect. A daughter 
of Episcopalianism, born in 1789. 

310. Protestant Methodists. Organized in Bal- 
timore, in 1830. 

311. Protestantenvereign. Founded in Germany 
in 1863. 

312. Prussian Union. A German sect. 

313. Publicani. An English protestant sect of the 
eleventh century, similar in belief to the Waldenses. 

314. Quietists. A sect of the seventeenth century 
in France. 

315. Ranters. Founded in England, in 1645. 

316. Re-Anointers. A sect in Russia which 
sprung up about the year 1770. 

317. Reformed Episcopal Sect. Founded in 
Kentucky in 1873, by George David Cummins. 

318. Reformed Church in the United States 
of America. Founded in 1792. 



134 THE CHURCH. 

319. Reformed Methodists. Founded in 1804. 

320. Reformed Union. A Methodist body in 
Britain. 

321. Reformed Protestant Deutch Church. 

322. Reformed Mennonites. Organized in 1874. 

323. Reformed Church of Poland. 

324. Reformed Presbyterian Church, Synod. 
An American Presbyterian body. 

325. Reformed Presbyterian Church, General 
Synod. A body of Presbyterians in the United States. 

326. Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scot- 
land. A Presbyterian daughter in Scotland. 

327. Reformed Presbyterian Synod in Scot- 
land. This sect must not be confounded with the 
" Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland." 
Hitchcock gives it as a separate body. 

328. Reformed Church of France. This is the 
name given to the society which grew up under the 
labors of Lefevre and Farel and their company in 
France. 

329. Reformed Church in America. This is a 
title recently chosen by an American sect. 

330. Reformed Presbyterians, or Covenanters. 
Founded in 1689. 

331. Relief Church. Founded in Scotland in 
1761. 

332. Relief Presbyterians. Founded about 1752. 

333. Rellyanists. One of the earlier sects of 
Universalists, founded by James Relly. 

' 334. -Remonstrants. Founded about 1610. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 135 

335. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of 
Latter Day Saints. Daughter of Mormonism, 
born in 1851. 

336. Republican Methodists, or O'Kellyites. 
Founded in 1792. 

337. Restorationists. 

338. River Brethren. A Baptist daughter foun- 
ded in Germany early in the eighteenth century. 

339. Robinsonites. An offshoot from the Brown- 
ists in England, founded in 1606, by John Robinson. 

340. Rogereens. Founded in Connecticut, in 
1674, by John Rogers. 

341.' Russian Materialists. 

342. Salvation Army, English. Founded in 
England, by Boothe. 

343. Salvation Army, American. Daughter of 
the English army, founded by Moore. 

344. Salvationists. An offshoot from the Salvation 
Army, founded about 1883, by Amos and Wm. Moore. 

345. Sandemanians. Offshoot from the Glassites, 
founded in 1728. 

346. Saturnarian Baptists. A Baptist branch. 

347. Schwenkfelders. An offshoot from the 
Lutherans; founded by Casper Schwenkfeld von 
Ossing. 

348. Scotch Church. A split from the American 
Presbyterians in New York City. It united with the 
Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania in 1754. 

349. Scotists. Followers of John Duns Scotus, 
in the fourteenth century. 



136 THE CHURCH. 

350. Se-Baptists. Founded in England in the 
early part of the seventeenth century. 

351. Se-Baptists. A Russian sect, not to be con- 
founded with the English sect of the same name. 

352. Secularists. A sect recently founded in 
England, by George Jacob Holyoake. 

353. Seekers. Founded in England, in 1645. 

354. Separate Baptists. An American Baptist 
daughter, born in 1828. 

355. Servetians. Followers of Michael Servetus, 
in the sixteenth century. 

356. Shakers. Founded by Anne Lee, in 1774. 

357. Shoemakerites. A little sect in Pennsyl- 
vania, nearly extinct. 

358. Six-Principle Baptists. Sometimes called 
Old Baptists. 

359. Smythites. An offshoot from the Brownists, 
founded in Holland early in the seventh century, by 
Mr. Smyth. 

360. Society of the Perfectibilists. Founded 
in Germany, May 1, 1776, by ex-Jesuit Adam 
Weishaupt. 

361. Socinians. Founded in the sixteenth century, 
by Loelius Socinus. 

362. Southcottians. Founded by Joanna South- 
cote, about 1792. 

363. Spiritualists. Founded in New York, in 
1848, by the Fox Family. 

364. Strigolnicks. A sect of Russian Judaizers, 
in the fourteenth century. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 137 

365. St. Simonians. Founded in France by 
Claude Henri or Count de St. Simon, in the latter 
part of the eighteenth century. 

366. Swedenborgians. Founded in the eighteenth 
century, by Emanuel Swedenborg. 

367. Swedish Mission Friends. 

368. Taborites. A branch of the Hussites in the 
fifteenth century. 

369. Tanquelinians. Founded in the twelfth cen- 
tury, by Tanquelinus. 

370. The Brethren. A little sect founded by 
Evving. 

371. Theodosians. A sect in Russia. 

372. Theophilanthropists. Founded in Paris, in 
1794. Became extinct in 1802. 

373. The Religious Society of Free Congre- 
gations. A sect in Germany, formed in 1859, by a 
union of some of the German Catholics with the 
Free Congregations. 

374. The Reformed Presbyterians. Founded 

in 1743. 

375. Thomasites. Founded in Virginia by John 
Thomas. 

376. Tranquelinans. Followers of Tranquelinus, 
in the twelfth century. 

377. Transylvanian Unitarians. Founded in 
Transylvania, in 1568. 

378. Tschomaboltsi. A sect in Russia. 

379. Turlupins. One of the minor sects which 
paved the way for the Reformation. It was organ- 



138 THE CHURCH 

ized about 1372, and existed principally in Savoy 
and Dauphiny. 

380. Ubiquitarians. A branch of Lutherans in 
Germany, in the sixteenth century. 

381. Uckewallists. Founded in the seventeenth 
century, by Uke-Walles. 

382. Union Methodists. A Methodist daughter. 

383. Unitarians. Founded in the forepart of the 
nineteenth century, by Samuel Worcester, indirectly. 
This sect is divided into two factions, and are known 
as Conservative and Radical, hence we add another 
of the same name. 

384. Unitarians. 

385. Unitas Fratrum. A branch of Hussites in 
Bohemia, founded by Gregory, in 1467. 

386. Unitarian Congregationalists. A sect in 
the United States. 

387. United Baptists. A Baptist branch. 

388. United Brethren. A daughter of Me- 
thodism. 

389. United Brethren. Founded by Count 
Zinzindorf, in 1727. 

390. United Brethren in Christ. Founded in 
Pennsylvania by Wm. Otterbein, in 1800. This sect 
at present exists in two factions, known as Radical 
and Liberal; hence we add another of the same name. 

391. United Brethren in Christ. 

392. United Evangelical Church. A sect formed 
by the union of Lutherans with Reformed, in 1817. 

393.UNiTEDFREEMETHODiSTS.AsectinGreatBritain. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 139 

394. United Lutherans. A sect in Germany. 

395. United Mennonites. Founded in 1875. 

396. United Methodist Free Churches. A 
union of three Methodist sects in England, in 1849. 

397. United Presbyterians. Founded in Scot- 
land in 1847. A union of Relief Church with 
United Secession. 

398. United Presbyterian Church of Norh 
America. A union of Associate with Associate 
Reformed, in 1820. 

399. United Secession Church. A sect in Scot- 
land, formed by a union of Associate Synod with 
General Associate Synod, in 1820. 

400. United Synod. A daughter of the New 
School Presbyterians in the South, born 1858. 

401. Uniyersalists, or Independent Christian 
Church. Organized in New Jersey, about 1770, by 
Murry. 

402. Uniyersal Restorationists. A daughter of 
the Universalists, founded in Massachusetts, Aug. 
17, 183 1, under the direction of Hosea Ballou. 

403. Verschorists. Founded in Holland, in 1680, 
by Jacob Verscloor. 

404. Walkerites. Founded in Ireland, in the 
early part of the current century. 

405. Waterlandians, afterward called Doopsge- 
zinden. A branch of Mennonites founded in North- 
ern Holland, in the sixteenth century. 

406. Welsh Calvinistic Methodists. Founded 
in Wales in 181 1. 



140 THE CHURCH. * 

407. Wesleyan Methodist Association. Founded 
in England, in 1836. 

408. Wesleyan Methodist Connection. Founded 
in 1843. 

409. Wesleyan Methodist Reformers. Founded 
in 1850. 

410. Wesleyan Reform Union. Founded in 
England, in 1851-52. 

411. Western Association. A branch of the 
Unitarians in the Western States; organized in 1866. 

412. Whippers. A sect in Italy, in the thirteenth 
century. 

413. Whippers. Another sect by this name ex- 
isted in the fifteenth century. 

414. Wicliffites. Followers of John Wicliff, of 
the fourteenth century. 

415. Wilheminians. Dupes of a fanatical woman 
of Bohemia in the thirteenth century, by the name 
of Wilhemina. 

416. Wilkinsonians. Founded in the United 
States, -in the latter part of the eighteenth century, 
by Jemima Wilkinson. 

417. Winebrennarians. Founded in 1830. 

418. Witwerites. Founded in Ohio by Mr. 
Witwer. 

419. Zwickau Prophets, or New Church of 
God. A sect of fanatics in the time of the Re- 
formation. 

420. Zoharites. A sect founded, or rather 
re-organized, in 1750, by Jacob Frank, a Polish Jew. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 141 

Let us now proceed with the subject of this chap- 
ter by turning to the eleventh chapter of Revelation. 
Here concerning the Word and Spirit, the angel 
says: "And when they shall have finished their 
testimony, the beast that ascendeth out ot the bot- 
tomless pit, shall make war against them, and shall 
overcome them, and kill them. And their dead 
bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which 
spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also 
our Lord was crucified. And they of the people, 
and kindreds, and tongues, and nations, shall see 
their dead bodies three days and an half,, and shall 
not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice 
over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one 
to another; because these two prophets tormented 
them that dwelt upon the earth." Rev. 11:7-10. 
A generation of holy people survived the " Dark 
Ages," who were opposed to the beast's religion. 
They had preserved by tradition a remembrance of 
apostolic times, hence they kept constantly proclaim- 
ing against the superstitions and presumptions of 
Romanism. It was through them that the Word 
and Spirit tormented the papists twelve hundred 
and sixty years. Their prophecy in sackcloth ended 
with the Reformation of the sixteenth century, since 
which they have lain dead in the streets of Protest- 
antism. This may sound preposterous to some, but 
let us explain. Suppose you enter -the home of a 
protestant, and converse with him upon the subject 



142 THE CHURCH. 

of holiness. You will soon hear him denounce it in 
the strongest terms. You ask him if he has a Bible. 
He tells you he has. You then ask him if he believes 
every word in it. He answers in the affirmative. 
You procure it and read some of the many texts 
treating on holiness, but still he remains obstinate in 
his notion. You then tell him he had better destroy 
the Bible if he is not going to accept it as the man 
of his counsel. He is amazed at you. What! burn 
the blessed old volume? No! No! he can never do 
that. He will not suffer it to be put into a grave, 
that is, he will not discard the Bible entirely, but 
contrariwise he maketh a great idol of it, but will 
not suffer.it to have a voice in the government of 
his soul. The Spirit is similarly treated. It is only 
when the sects in Protestantism are very young that 
they will permit any one to shout forth the praises 
of God in the Spirit. Oh yes, they believe in the 
Holy Ghost; but let some one preach the pure 
word of God in the Holy Ghost; or shout in the 
Holy Ghost, or set aside their sect machinery, to be 
governed solely by the word of God and the Holy 
Ghost, and he will incur but the hatred and opposi- 
tion of the majority of protestants. I think we have 
now clearly shown in what sense the Word and 
Spirit have lain dead in Protestantism. 

The rejoicing over their death is fulfilled in the 
present day feastings, revelings, and banquetings of 
the protestants. The "thiee days and a half" they 
were to lay dead, is interpreted by the Holy Spirit 



PROTESTANT AGE. 143 

to mean three centuries and a half. This gives us 
the length of the protestant age. 

We have before shown this age to have its com- 
mencement with A. D. 1530. Measuring from that 
date, the three hundred and fifty years will reach to 
A. D. 1880. About that time God, in fulfillment to 
that which is written, began to send his messengers 
to and fro to gather together his elect, which had 
been scattered into the various protestant sects. 
Since then sectism has speedily lost spirituality. 
Protestants themselves see and acknowledge it. In 
1888 a brother who was holding a series of meetings 
in Auglaize County, Ohio, stopped over night with 
a protestant family. While there the lady of the 
house, who was unacquainted with the doctrine 
of the evening light, remarked to him that it had 
been about eight years since the churches (sects) 
began to lose their spirituality in that neighborhood. 
The leaders of Protestantism wonder why they 
appear so stupid. It is because the age of Protest- 
antism is a thing of the past. They have had their 
day and are dead. The protestant age was foretold 
by the prophet Zechariah in the following words: 
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the 
light shall not be clear nor dark: but it shall be one 
day\vhich shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor 
night." Zech. 14:6,7. This prophecy could have 
no reference to the clear day of apostolic times. 
Neither could it be a prediction of the dark night of 
Romanism. But since we see that the lio;ht of the 



144 THE CHURCH. 

protestant age is greater than that of the papal 
age, and inferior to that of the morning light age; 
we would naturally apply the above prophecy to the 
protestant age. Protestants never had a true con- 
ception of the word of God on all points of doctrine. 
From the beginning they have held some doctrines 
that originated in the apostasy. Well may it be 
said, Protestantism is neither papacy nor gospel, 
neither clear nor dark, neither day nor night. 



CHAPTER IV. 

PROTESTANTISM WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE AND 
FOUND WANTING. 

There was great rejoicing among the saints upon 
the earth when the Reformation broke out, supposing 
it to be the ushering in of the evening light. They 
had not sufficient light to interpret the many texts 
of scripture which foretold that a "dark and cloudy 
day" of three hundred and fifty years duration, 
should follow the downfall of popery; hence they 
supposed the last dispensation had begun, and ex- 
pected to see in the Reformation, all things restored 
to the apostolic standard. But their anticipations 
were too great; for the sixteenth century was not 
the epoch of a great gathering together of God's 
saints, as the prophets had foretold should come in 
the last days; but, contrariwise, it was, as D'Aubigne 
expresses it, "the epoch of a great separation." 
Neither was the church, in the Reformation, restored 
to her primitive holiness, to fulfill Daniel's prediction 



PROTESTANT AGE. 145 

that " in the time of the end many should be purified, 
and made white, and tried." Dan. 12: 9, 10. 

More than two hundred years passed away after 
the rise of Protestantism before anybody under- 
stood thoroughly the theory of two works of grace 
in the heart. Neither did the sixteenth century 
Reformation restore the church to her primitive 
faith, which would arouse in her all the gifts of the 
Holy Spirit that fell asleep many centuries ago, as 
she, in her apostasy, drifted away from her pri- 
meval state. 

Neither has there been such a general diffusion of 
divine knowledge under the reign of Protestantism, 
as Daniel had prophesied should come in the time of 
the end. Dan. 12:4. Neither have the protestant 
denominations ever reached the apostolical system 
of eldership. They are ruled by a kind of semi-* 
popery system, which exalts some ecclesiastics to 
a higher dignity than others; while the apostolic 
system places all on an equality. 

The officers of the M. E. sect are divided into four 
classes. The most humble officers are the local 
preachers, class-leaders, deacons, stewards, etc. The 
next higher office is that of the preacher in charge 
who rules the aforesaid officers. The next higher 
officer is the presiding elder, who rules the preachers 
in charge. The highest officer is the bishop, who 
rules the presiding elders. If a pope were added it 
would be a popery, as far as the eldership is con- 
cerned. Nearly all the protestant sects are similarly 



146 THE CHURCH. 

governed. A few, however, are not quite so popish 
in their make up; but not one of them is biblically 
arranged. 

The Wesleyan Methodists profess an equality 
eldership, but their discipline teaches the contrary. 
True, we find on page six of their discipline, "All 
elders in the church of God are equal." This is true 
of the church of the God of the Bible, but they aim 
it as a rule in their sect. Facts and their discipline 
itself proves that it is not a rule in their sect. We 
now ^urn back to page 99 and 100 in their discipline. 
Here we find their statutes forbid the ordination of 
women to the office of elder, but allow that they 
shall be licensed to preach, thus teaching that elders 
are officers of higher dignity than the preachers. 
This will be seen also from their definition of the 
terms elder and preacher, on pages sixty-eight and 
sixty-nine. These are positive proofs that the offi- 
cers of the Wesleyan Methodist sect, like those of 
all other sects, are not on an equality. 

And in many other things do the protestant 
denominations come short of the Bible" standard; 
but no better could be expected of them, for those 
institutions are not of divine, but of human origin. 
Protestants themselves see their deficiency. They 
have long since been prophesying of a greater 
light ahead. 

Martin Luther saw before his death, that the 
evening dispensation did not commence with the 
Reformation of his day. On one occasion he uttered 



PROTESTANT AGE. 147 

the following prediction: " I hold that a great dark- 
ness will follow this gospel light, and that soon after, 
the last day will come." The " great darkness " he 
saw coming was naught else than the apostasy of the 
church into Protestantism. By the phrase "last day" 
he doubtless means the end of the world. The 
phrase "soon after" might imply that the clear 
lio-ht would shine a little season after the darkness 
should pass away. If these are the thoughts Luther 
intended to convey with the above words, he fore- 
saw the evening light. 



CHAPTER V. 

ORIGIN OF PROTESTANTISM. 

To clearly show the origin of Protestantism, it is 
necessary that we should examine carefully her 
organization, governments, theology, laws, and or- 
dinances, weighing them carefully in the balance of 
God's word. Then will we be able to see how much 
she comes short of the Bible standard; and will be 
qualified to advance to a positive conclusion con- 
cerning her origin. We will first consider the organ- 
ization of Protestantism. The failure of the reformers 
to see the true Bible church, and how it is organized, 
is perhaps the best excuse for the many schisms of 
modern times. I cannot think that such men as 
many of the reformers were (if we are to believe 
what the chronicles say of them), had they possessed 
a clear understanding of the polity of God's church, 
would have defiled their hands with human organ- 



148 THE CHURCH. 

isms. But thinking as they did, that the organization 
and government of the church must be accomplished 
by men, they are excusable imtheir mistakes. "And 
the times of this ignorance God winked at [over- 
looked]; but now commandeth all men everywhere 
to repent." Acts. 17: 30. 

That the protestants have never fully discerned 
the Bible church is evidently seen in their teaching 
that the many schisms compose it. The word church 
in the New Testament is translated from the Greek 
ckklesia, which word the Greeks used to designate 
an assembly of citizens regularly summoned. See 
Liddell and Scott's Lexicon. 

Jesus and his disciples use this word to designate 
the universal assembly of the saints. The Bible calls 
the church "the body of Christ," and declares God 
has tempered it together that there should be no 
schism in it. Eph. 1 : 22,23; Col.i : 24; I Cor. 12:24,25. 

Again, the protestant adage, " There is good and 
bad in all churches," is another proof that they do 
not discern the Bible church, which is composed of 
saints only. 1 Cor. 14:33. "Thy people also shall 
be all righteous." Isa. 60: 21. 

But let us come at once to the subject of organiza- 
tion. In the first place we will see whom the Bible 
makes the organizer. Jesus says: " I will build my 
church." Matt. 16: 18. " He that built all things is 
God." Heb. 3: 4. "He looked for a city which 
hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." 
Heb. 11: 10. In Neouchadnezzar's dream the church 



PROTESTANT AGE. 149 

is represented by a stone cut out of a mountain 
without hands. Dan. 2: 45. God calls the church, 
"The branch of my planting, the work of my 
hands." Isa. 60: 21. 

These texts give ample proof that God is the sole 
organizer of the church. Therefore, weighed in the 
balance of God's word, Protestantism is found want- 
ing, for the organization thereof is human throughout. 
There is not one text in the inspired volume confer- 
ring upon man the power or privilege of organizing 
a church. And those who attempt it unwarrantably 
tinker up what time proves to be the detestable 
thing so positively forbidden in God's word; viz., a 
sect. It is commonly reported that we do not be- 
lieve in church organization. This is a mistake. We 
firmly believe in all the organization found in the 
Bible. It is human tinkering and sect organizing 
that we renounce. We hold that the Bible contains 
all things essential to life and godliness; and that 
all the organization not found therein is superfluity, 
hence cut off and condemned. Jas. 1: 21. 

But what does the word organize mean? Webster 
defines it as follows: " To form with suitable organs; 
to construct so that one part may co-operate with 
another; to distribute into suitable parts, and appoint 
proper officers, that the whole may act as one body." 
This definition includes everything pertaining to 
church organization; but there is no work included in 
it that the Bible does not ascribe to God. " To form 
with suitable organs ." God does this. " -But now hath 



150 THE CHURCH. 

God set the members every one of them in the body, 
as it hath pleased him." I Cor. 12: 18. How does 
God put the members into his church? "For by 
one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." 1 Cor. 
12: 13. The baptism here referred to is spiritual 
birth. It is therefore taught in God's word that men 
can enter the church only through the birth of 
the Spirit. 

One man cannot put another into the church, for 
Jesus is the door.. John 10: 9. He is also the door- 
keeper. "He openeth, and no man shutteth; and 
shutteth, and no man openeth." Rev. 3: 7. God 
puts unruly members out of his church. " I am the 
true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every 
branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." 
John 15:1, 2. How does God put them out? He 
answers: "Whosoever hath sinned against me, him 
will I blot out of my book." Ex. 32: 33. The book 
here spoken of is the "book of life," which is the 
only authorized classbook of the church of God. 
"To construct so that one part may co-operate with 
another." God does this. "God hath tempered the 
body together * * * that there should be no schism 
in the body; but that the members should have the 
same care one for another." 1 Cor. 12: 24, 25. 

" To distribute into suitable parts, and appoint 
proper officers, that the whole may act as one body." 
God does this. " For to one is given by the Spirit 
the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowl- 
edge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the 



PROTESTANT AGE. 151 

same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the 
same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to an- 
other prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to 
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the inter- 
pretation of tongues: but* all these worketh that one 
and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man sev- 
erally as he will." 1 Cor. 12:8-11. "And God hath 
set some in in the church, first apostles, secondarily 
prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then 
gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of 
of tongues." 1 Cor. 12: 28. 

"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; 
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teach- 
ers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of 
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 
till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the 
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, 
unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of 
Christ." Eph. 4:11-13. "Take heed, therefore, 
unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the 
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the 
church of God, which he hath purchased with his 
own blood." Acts. 20: 28. 

The above scriptures, without comments, clearly 
show that God, by the Spirit, distributes into suitable 
parts and appoints all the officers in his church. 
But, says one, Does not the New Testament clearly 
show that the apostles ordained elders, deacons, 
evangelists, etc.? Certainly; but there is a vast 
difference between the apostles' recognition of the 



152 THE CHURCH. 

gifts and callings of God in their brethren, and the 
voting and ceremonial arrangements of modern sects, 
called by them ordination. 

The. apostles never voted anybody into an office 
of any kind. But when God, by the Spirit, placed 
somebody into a vocation, they acknowledged the 
gift of God in him, by a season of fasting and 
prayer, and the imposition of hands. Acts 6:6; 
13: 1-3; 14: 23. Nor did they "lay hands suddenly" 
on a man who professed a calling of God, but waited 
until he proved his gift by exercising the same. 1 
Tim. 3: 10. This is why Paul left Titus in Crete to 
"ordain elders in every city." Tit. 1: 5. Otherwise 
he would have ordained them himself before he left 
Crete. Paul himself preached the gospel about ten 
years before he was ordained by the imposition of 
hands. See dates in the margin opposite Acts g : 22 ;ij ;i-j. 

Now reader, seeing that the Bible teaches a divine 
church organization, are we not forced to the con- 
clusion that the human machinery of Protestantism 
is heterodoxy? There is still another important 
point in this subject, that we wish to call attention 
to. You will observe in Webster's definition in- 
serted above, that he gives as the object in organiza- 
tion, "That the whole may act as one body." This 
is both the object and result of organization. There- 
fore, what the protestants have so long imposed 
upon humanity for church organization is in reality 
church disorganization, because it makes the whole 
act in many hundred different bodies. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 153 

The fact that division is the chief corner stone of 
Protestantism is an explicit proof against her ortho- 
doxy. For division is a heinous sin condemned in 
every part of God's word. Paul teaches that divisions 
are contrary to the Christian doctrine; and that 
they who cause them are not servants of Christ. 
Rom. 16: 17, 18. Notice also that he places heresies 
(sects) in the catalogue of sins that will bar men 
out of the kingdom of heaven. Gal. 5: 19-21. Again 
he says: " Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same 
thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but 
that ye be perfectly joined together in the same 
mind and in the same judgment. 1 Cor. 1: 10. Peter 
says: "There shall be false teachers among you; 
who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even 
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon 
themselves swift destruction." 2 Pet. 2:1. 

It is thus that divisions and sects are renounced 
throughout the Bible. But when we execute "the 
judgment written" against such things, we incur but 
the hatred and opposition of many. Oh how changed! 
The apostles taught that there were no schisms in 
the church. Modern theologians teach that all the 
schisms are in the church. In the early days of 
Christianitv. the founders of sects were called here- 
tics. To day they are promoted to the highest 
honor. The people of to day can scarcely endure a 
Bible discourse on the unity of the church. On one 
occasion a brother testified in a sect meeting that he 



154 THE CHURCH. 

was saved into the "one fold." Scarcely had he 
taken his seat before a sect preacher sprang to his 
feet exclaiming, "Tliat is the most damnable doc- 
trine outside of hell." Oh what a reviler of wisdom's 
Son, who hath designed that his people should all 
dwell under " one shepherd "in" onefold!" Jno. 10: 16. 

A sect preacher once cautioned me against op- 
posing divisions, saying, " We are apt to dwell too 
much on these minor points, and get our eyes off of 
Christ." "Minor points!" said I, "do you make 
unity a minor point? Is not unity and purity urged 
upon the people by Christ and his apostles more 
than any other two features of the church?" He 
answered in the affirmative. The absence of unity 
proves the absence of sanctification; "for both He 
that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of 
one." Heb. 2:11. Paul knew the Corinthians to be 
unsanctified by the envying, strife, and divisions 
among them. 1 Cor. 3: 1-3. Those who cause divi- 
sions are called deceivers. Rom. 16: 18. Unity is 
therefore not a minor but a major point. 

We will now come to the government of Protest- 
antism. This article might be entitled human legis- 
lation. For protestants govern all things by means 
of conferences, synods, annual meetings, councils 
and conventions. By creeds, disciplines, discussions, 
committees, Voting, wire pulling, etc. All this 
routine of human interposition is without warrant 
in the Bible. 

Let us now open the sacred volume and quote 



PROTESTANT AGE. 155 

some texts that will clearly substantiate divine 
church government. " For unto us a child is born, 
unto us a son is given; and the,government shall be 
upon his shoulder: and His name shall be called 
Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the ever- 
lasting Father, the Prince of peace. Of the increase 
of His government and peace there shall be no end, 
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, 
to order it, and to establish it with judgment and 
with justice from henceforth even forever. The 
zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Isa. 
9:6, 7. "For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is 
the governor among the nations." Ps. 22: 28. "But 
thou, Beth-lehem Ephrata, though thou be little 
among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall 
He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; 
whose goings forth have been from of old, from 
everlasting." Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6. The church is 
subject unto Christ. Eph. 5:24. "And hath put 
all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the 
head over all things to the church." Eph. 1: 22, 23. 
You see, dear reader, that the Bible makes Jesus the 
sole governor of the church. Therefore, when men 
claim to be governors they are guilty of gross 
assumption. 

Let us now see what is the discipline of the church. 

" For I have given unto them the words which 
thou gavest me; and they have received them, and 
have known surely that I came out from thee, and 
they have believed that thou didst send me." John 



156 THE CHURCH. 

17:8. " I have given them thy word." V. 14. What 
did He give us his Father's word for? "All scripture 
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for 
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction 
in righteousness: That the man of God may be 
perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 
2 Tim. 3: 16, 17. 

Now what do men make disciplines for? Is it not 
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and instruc- 
tion in righteousness? So the disciplines of man bear 
the same relation to the sects that the word of God 
does to the church. Wilson's translation of the 
above text shows' more clearly that the holy scrip- 
tures were given for the discipline of the church. 
"All scripture, divinely inspired, is indeed profitable 
for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for that dis- 
cipline which is in righteousness; so that the man of 
God may be complete, thoroughly fitted for for every 
good work." 

We must obey the whole Bible, "for whosoever 
shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one 
point, he is guilty of all." Jas. 2: 10. We must not 
add any new commandments. "Add thou not unto 
His words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found 
a liar." Prov. 30:6. "What thing soever I command 
you, observe to do it; thou shalt not add thereto, 
nor diminish from it." Deut. 12:32. "Ye shall not 
add unto the word which I command you, neither 
shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep 
the commandments of the Lord your God which 



PROTESTANT AGE. 157 

I command you." Deut. 4: 2. The Bible is our only 
discipline. 

" For I testify unto every man that heareth the 
words of the prophecy of this book, If any man 
shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him 
the plagues that are written in this book: and if any 
man shall take away from the words of the book of 
this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of 
the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from 
the things which are written in this book. Rev. 22:18,19. 

In these texts it is clearly seen that the Bible, the 
whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible, is enjoined 
upon the church as the articles of faith to be believed 
and practiced. Men cannot make a discipline without 
adding to, or diminishing from the Bible, except 
they actually reprint the Bible. But some say the 
discipline of their sect is in harmony with the Bible. 
To all such we say, We will give a reward of five 
dollars to the man who will bring us a discipline of 
any sect that is in perfect harmony with the Bible. 
We here wish to call the reader's attention to the 
fact that the creeds of the various sects acknowledge 
the Bible to be the all sufficient rule of faith and 
practice. 

" The holy scriptures contain all things necessary 
to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, 
nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of 
any man, that it should be believed as an article of 
faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salva- 
tion." — M. E. Discipline. 



158 THE CHURCH. 

The Wesleyan and Free Methodist disciplines are 
verbatim with the Methodist Episcopal. 

"The holy scriptures contain the will of God, so 
far as it is necessary for us to know for our salvation; 
so that whatsoever is not contained therein, nor can 
be proved thereby, is not to be enjoined on any as 
an article of faith, or as a doctrine, essential to 
sal vatio n . ' ' — Evangelical. 

The canonical books of the holy scriptures contain 
all the instructions necessary to salvation, and what- 
soever is not contained therein, nor can be proven 
thereby, is not to be required nor believed as an 
article of faith; neither to be received as necessary 
to salvation." — Evangelical United Mennonitcs. 

" It has been and still is the belief of the Society 
of Friends that the holy scriptures of the Old and 
New Testament were given by inspiration of God; 
that, therefore, the declarations contained in them 
rest on the authority of God himself, and that there 
can be no appeal from these to any authority what- 
soever. * * * The scriptures are the only divinely 
authorized record of the doctrines which we are 
bound, as Christians, to accept, and of the moral 
principles which are to regulate our actions. No 
one can be required to believe, as an article of faith, 
any doctrine which is not contained in them; and 
whatsoever any one says or does contrary to the 
scriptures, though under profession of immediate 
guidance of the Holy Spirit, must be reckoned and 
accounted a delusion of the devil." — Quaker. 



PROTESTANT AGE. 159 

" The holy scriptures are the only source whence 
we are to draw our religious sentiments, whether 
they relate to faith or practice." — Lutheran. 

" We receive the scriptures of the Old and New 
Testaments as the word of God, and the only infalli- 
ble rule of faith and practice." — Congregationalist. 

The Episcopalian creed reads the same as the 
Methodist. If the Bible then contains all things 
essential to life and godliness, and nothing else is to 
be enjoined upon anybody, what use have we for the 
creeds and disciplines of men? None whatever. 
Why then were they made? To this question I 
think I can give an answer that will be satisfactory 
to those who know their Bibles. As the Bible is 
intended for the government of God's church, it is 
not suited to the government of any sect. Therefore, 
when men departed from the true faith and church 
of God, and began to build sects, they soon found 
that the Bible had no affinity with their sects. Hence 
the necessity of human disciplines and creeds. 
Thank God! since we have returned from sect 
Babylon unto the church of the firstborn, we find 
the old Bible as well adapted to church government 
as in days of yore; and have no need of human 
intervention. 

We will next briefly consider the theology of 
Protestantism. The various denominations differ so 
widely that a person cannot write upon many Bible 
truths that are not both affirmed and denied in 
Protestantism. We do not wish to describe those 



160 THE CHURCH. 

differences; but to strike chiefly «at some unbiblical 
sentiments in the general theology of Protestantism. 
The most diabolical of these sentiments is that nobody 
can be saved from all sin in this life. A blacker 
falsehood never emanated from the infernal regions. 
The Bible teaches that " whosoever committeth sin 
is the servant of sin" (John 8: 34); and that servants 
of sin are " free from righteousness." Rom. 6: 20. 
Therefore to believe that all men are bound to 
commit sin, is to believe that all men are free from 
righteousness. The Bible also teaches that " he that 
committeth sin is of the devil." 1 John 3: 8. Hence 
to believe that all men commit sin is to believe that 
all men are of the devil. 

The Bible further teaches, that they who die in 
their sins cannot enter heaven. John 8:21. So if 
nobody can be made free from sin before they die, 
nobody can enter heaven. Again we read in the 
Bible that "whosoever is born of God doth not com- 
mit sin." 1 John 3:9. " Whosoever is born of God sin- 
neth not. ' 1 John 5: 18. "Whosoever abideth in Him 
sinneth not." 1 John 3: 6. Hence to believe that 
nobody can live without sinning, is to believe that 
nobody is born of God. The Bible also says that 
sins hide God's face from the people, that he will 
not hear their prayers. Isa. 59: 2. Hence to believe 
that everybody is living in sin is to believe that 
nobody has communion with God, or receives an- 
swers to their prayers. You see, dear reader, that to 
believe the anti-christ doctrine under consideration, 



PROTESTANT AGE. 161 

is, according to the scriptures, to deny all hopes of 
heaven, and to believe all men are on the broad road 
to perdition, and in an unredeemable state. The 
following opinion held by the majority of protest- 
ants, is a twin sister to the one we have just con- 
sidered, and equally as absurd: " Men can commit 
sin and still be Christians." This false notion is the 
ground work of the other, for without it men would 
not drift into the other. 

To believe that men can spend all their days 
committing sin, and still be Christians and go to 
heaven in the end, is to believe the lie of Universal- 
ism. If God will take one sinner to heaven he will 
take all of them to heaven, for he is no respecter of 
persons. No man can retain spiritual life in his soul 
and live in disobedience to God's commands; for 
" sin when it is finished [committed], bringeth forth 
death." Jas. 1:15. Many protestants believe this 
to be true in the case of the infant at the age of 
accountability; but think the converted adult can 
commit sin more or less every day, and remain in 
favor with God. This cannot be. If a child's first 
sin causes him to die in trespasses and in sins, the 
first sin of a converted adult will likewise cause him 
to die. The same causes are bound to produce the 
same effects. 

From whence did this notion that men can retain 
spiritual life in disobedience proceed? Let us see 
if we can find its originator. We will go back to the 
garden of Eden. Here we find God telling our first 



162 THE CHURCH. 

parents if they sin against him they will die the same 
day. Gen. 2:17. Soon after we he'ar the devil con- 
tradicting the words of God, by telling them they 
should not die. Gen. 3: 4. God said they could not 
commit sin and remain spiritual; the devil said they 
could. Now we have found the author of this 
absurd doctrine. We have traced it to the father of 
all lies. The devil introduced this false doctrine 
through the serpent preacher; but to day he need 
not stoop so low, he has many thousands of human 
beings who are ready to carry his delusions to the 
ends of the earth. 

We will now prove by the protestant definition of 
the word church, given in many of their creeds, that 
Protestantism is no church. I will quote from the 
Free Methodist discipline: 

"The visible church of Christ is a congregation of 
pure men, in which the pure word of God is preached, 
and the sacrament duly administered, according to 
Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of neces- 
sity are requisite to the san^." 

Not one of the many protestant sects measures up 
to the above standard. Not one of them is a con- 
gregation of pure men, nor do they profess to be. 
They all adhere to the adage, " good and bad in all 
churches." Nor is the pure word of God preached 
in a single one of these sects. The word of God is 
radically opposed to and would soon destroy sectism. 
All sects, no doubt, teach some truth, but none of 
them the whole truth. Let us take a look at the 



PROTESTANT AGE. 163 

standard lifted up by some of them, and see how 
they proclaim gross errors, and pass over some of 
Christ's " wholesome words." We will begin with 
Methodism, as she is a degeneration from one of the 
most spiritual of past reformations. Her creed tells 
us that " the baptism of young children is to be 
retained in the church." Now what course would a 
Methodist theologist take to substantiate this doc- 
trine? I am sure I cannot find one word about 
infant baptism in all the Bible. Do they consider it 
orthodox because the word of God does not name 
it out as a false doctrine? If so, they handle the 
word of God deceitfully; for it is not enough that 
we advance upon Luther's footing, and cut off every 
thing condemned by the Bible; but loyalty to God 
constrains us to wax bolder still, and step upon the 
platform with Ulric Zwingli, to cut off whatever is 
not contained in the Bible. Therefore, before Me- 
thodists have grounds to affirm that infant baptism 
should be retained in the church, they must prove 
that God h%s established it in the church. This they 
cannot do, for there is no allusion to such a prac- 
tice between the lids of the inspired volume. It is 
simply an ordinance of man, copied by Methodists, 
and others of the younger protestant sects, from 
the elder Lutherans, Reformed, and Episcopalians, 
who brought it with them from Romanism, where it 
originated. We class it with what Methodists call 
" works of supererogation." 

Again, the M. E. creed says: " Let every adult 



1 64 THE CHURCH. 

person, and the parents of every child to be baptized, 
have the choice either of immersion, sprinkling, or 
pouring." Here Methodism drops the standard into 
the mud to be tramped upon by the stubborn wills 
of men. If they find a man too proud to follow the 
Master in the ordinance of immersion, instead of 
erecting an altar of prayer, and inviting him forward 
to get saved from his pride, they tell him he need 
not be immersed if he doesn't want to, sprinkling will 
do just as well. Sometimes they even insinuate that 
it is better. Surely Methodist scholars know that 
baptism cannot be lawfully administered three ways. 
They surely know the English equivalent of the 
Greek word baptizo. Why then will they publish 
such error? Liddell and Scott stand prominent as 
Greek lexicographers. They define this word as 
follows: " To dip in or wider water." I have consulted 
other lexicons, and found none differing a whit 
from the above. 

Baptizo is the only word used in the New Testa- 
ment to designate the ordinance called baptism. Its 
meaning in English is to immerse and nothing else. 
A scholar is rarely found who is dishonest enough 
to venture to translate it anything else. Those of 
the translators who have loved their creeds more 
than the truth have left it untranslated. In the 
standard translation it is translated "wash" twice; 
viz., Mark 7:4; Luke 11:38. In every other place 
it is not translated at all, but transferred. 

Seeing then that the Greek Testament teaches 



PROTESTANT AGE. 165 

immersion only, we ask, From whence have Metho- 
dists or any other class of people authority to teach 
three modes of baptism? I am fully persuaded that 
they have none whatever. The laity cannot be 
blamed for receiving this false doctrine, for very few 
of them know anything about the original Greek. 
Their teachers are in the fault, and must give account 
to God in the great day. The translators are also to 
be blamed, for had they given the people a pure 
English version of the New T Testament, they could 
not have been thus seduced. As baptize is an An- 
glicized Greek word, we must have access to the 
Greek language to find out its meaning. Hence the 
poor Englishmen, left as it were to guess the mean- 
ing of this important word, are exposed to all sorts 
of deception. One preacher, who says he has been 
to college, gains somebody's confidence, tells him 
sprinkling is the right mode of baptism, and he 
believes him. Another tells somebody else sprink- 
ling, pouring, and immersion, are all orthodox; and 
he believes him. Thus the people are deceived and 
led astray. 

If the translators had given us the Bible, as they 
should have done throughout, in radical English 
terms, the word baptize would not occur once between 
its lids. Then the Englishman would read: "He 
that believeth and is immersed shall be saved." 
Mark 16: 16. His little hand dictionary would tell 
him immerse meant "to put into a fluid." He would 
read again: " I indeed immerse you in water." Matt. 



1 66 THE CHURCH. 

3: 11. He would then understand -that he is to be 
put into the water. 

We will further notice that Methodism does not 
only add unto the words of the Lord, by imposing 
upon her subjects ordinances of man's invention, but 
setting aside some of his wholesome commandments, 
she strikes the devil's other sidetrack and diminishes 
from God's words. 

Methodism pays no attention to the command: 
" Greet ye one another with an holy kiss." 1 Cor. 
16: 20. They will doubtless say this was merely a 
Jewish custom. It was of a truth a practice amongst 
the Old Testament Jews, but is nevertheless enjoined 
upon us with the pens of two inspired apostles, and 
must be obeyed by the New Testament saints. Not 
promiscuously, but as the apostle, who four times 
commanded it, has ordered: " Let all things be done 
decently and in order." 1 Cor. 14: 40. 

Methodism also fails to notice the command to 
lift up holy hands. 1 Tim. 2:8; Heb. 12: 12. Neither 
does she encourage her subjects to observe, or even 
to reverence the sacred ordinance of feet washing, 
enjoined upon us by the Lord Jesus with ouglit and 
slioi.dd, two of the strongest words language affords us. 

We have now shown you some of the errors of 
Methodism, but do not wish to leave the impression 
upon your mind that she is the worst of all protest- 
ant isms. We verily believe that there are others 
just as bad. Lutheranism, Reformedism, Episco- 
palianism, and Presbyterianism, adhere to the papal 



PROTESTANT AGE. 167 

substitution of sprinkling for baptism as well as 
Methodism. They also, with many other creeds, 
teach the human invented rite of infant baptism. 
And one of them (Presbyterianism) has received 
this rite from the papists without a single modifica- 
tion; pronouncing all helpless little innocents lost 
who die before they have been sprinkled. Shame! 
Oh shame on the man who will teach such an awful 
falsehood, in the face of the meek and lowly Re- 
deemer who hath said: ".Suffer the little children to 
come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is 
the kingdom of God!" Mark 10: 14. And again: 
" Take heed that ye despise not one of these little 
ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels 
do always behold the face of my Father which is in 
heaven." Matt. 18: 10. 

Other sects also, as well as Methodism, reject the 
sacred ordinance of feet washing, and many other 
commands of God. And now, lest we should weary 
the reader, we will conclude our review of the tenets 
of Protestantism by calling attention to the fact that 
protestants generally deny the power of our Lord 
Jesus Christ to save and keep the soul free from sin; 
and to. heal the diseases of the body. Hence, we 
are constrained to believe that the apostle spake 
particularly of them when he dropped from his pen 
the following words: " Having a form of godliness, 
but denying the power thereof; from such turn 
away." 2 Tim. 3: 5. Shall we then, dear reader, 
since we see so many defects in Protestantism, pro- 



i68 THE CHURCH. 

nounce her the spotless bride of the Lamb? No! no! 
we can never utter such horrid blasphemy. But 
where did she come from? Hark! I hear the Reve- 
lator saying, " I beheld her coming up out of the 
earth." Rev. 13: 11. So she is an earth-born insti- 
tution. Listen again. Hear the Revelator calling 
Roman Catholicism the Mother of Harlots. We also 
frequently hear protestants call her the mother 
church. Ah! we see the origin of Protestantism 
now. Her sects are the harlot daughters of Roman 
Catholicism. Some may wonder why the protestant 
sects are represented in scripture as the daughters of 
Romanism. It is because they are formed largely of 
the fragments of Catholicism, which the reformers 
brought with them from the mass of her debris. 




PART IV. 



THE EVENING LIGHT AGE. 



CHAPTER 1. 

THE EVENING LIGHT FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE. 




/!/3^r5? The word time is frequently used in the 

^llv/H^ Bible to represent a dispensation. John 
says: "Little children, it is the last time, 
* * * we know that it is the last time." I 
Jno. 2: 18. By this he means to tell us that the 
Christian era is the last dispensation of time. Time 
has this signification in the- above prophecy, which 
might be properly read, "In the evening dispensation 
it shall be light." The reader of this volume will 
observe that the Christian dispensation is divided, by 
the prophets, into four minor dispensations.. We 
have followed the church in our trace through three 
of these dispensations: The Morning Dispensation, The 
Papal Dispensation, and The Protestant Dispensation. 
Now we are to follow her into another, The Evening 
Dispensation. 

169 



170 THR CHURCH. 

The Christian era is represented in prophecy as 
two days. The advent of Christ was sunrise of the 
first day. Mai. 4: 2. The "sun of righteousness" 
shone brilliantly for "a little while," Isa. 63: 18, and 
then went down in the apostasy. Amos 8: 9, 10. 

Then followed a very dark papal night of 1260 
years duration. (270—1530.) Then dawned the morn- 
ing of the second day. But this time the sun was 
"darkened in his going forth [rising]," Isa. 13: 10, 
by the clouds of Protestantism. Then followed a 
"cloudy and dark day," Ezek. 34: 12, of 350 years 
duration, the end of which we have now reached: 
the clouds are all driven away, and the sun casts his 
bright effulgent rays upon us as in days of yore. So 
the evening light is no new light, but that which shone 
in apostolic times. Isaiah spake of the evening 
light as follows: "Then shall thy light break forth 
as the morning." (Apostolic times.) Isa. 58: 8. 

Solomon also, looking into the future with a 
prophetic eye, caught a glimpse of this holiness re- 
formation upon which he exclaimed: "Who is she 
that looketh forth as the morming?" Cant. 6: 10. 
He saw that the church would be restored to her 
primeval state, and await the advent of her husband 
in her morning attire. 

The Tevelator shows that the waning of the cloudy 
day should be the epoch of the resurrection of the 
Word and Spirit, which would cause great fear to fall 
upon them that saw them. Rev. 11: 11. 

To day is this prophecy fulfilled unto us. The two 



EVENING LI G FIT AGE. 171 

prophets have their influence again. And — 

"The pure testimony put forth in the Spirit, 

Cuts like a two-edged sword; 
And hypocrites now are most sorely tormented 

Because they're condemned by the Word. 
The pure testimony discovers the dross, 

While wicked prof essors make light of the cross 
And Babylon trembles for fear of her loss." 

The Revelator further says of the Word and Spirit, 
"And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and 
their enemies beheld them. And the same hour was 
there a great earthquake." Rev. 11: 12, 13. The 
ascension here predicted of the Lord's two resur- 
ected witnesses, doubtless is their return in these last 
days to the plane from which they thundered forth 
their judgements in apostolic times. The earthquake 
to occur at the same instant is the great moral up- 
heaval of the present day holiness crisis. 

Light is breaking, powers are shaking, 

Truth is rising up in every plain, 
Power is given us from heaven 

O'er the beast, his image and his name. 

We will now notice that the prophets speak of the 
evening light as the breaking out of a great fire. 
Fire is an element which not only affords light and 
heat, but is also very useful to try and purify metals. 
Hence it is frequently used in scripture to signify the 
power of God's holiness. Paul says: "Our God is a 
consuming fire." Heb. 12: 29. His word is com- 
pared to a fire. Jer. 23: 29. Our Savior is compared 
to a refiner's fire. Mai. 3: 2. He says: "I am come 
to send fire on the earth." Luke 12: 29. After re- 
turning to his Father he sent the baptism of the 
Holy Spirit and fire upon his church. 



172 THE CHURCH. 

This holy fire spread like a mighty devouring flame 
during the morning light age; but under the apostasy 
it burned in so few hearts that the peruser of eccles- 
iastical history almost entirely loses sight of it. 
Thank God, to day we see the apostolic fire rekin- 
dled to burn despite all who may desire it extin- 
guished, unto the end of time. 

Thus speaketh the prophet concerning these 
days: 'Tn that day shall the branch of the Lord be 
beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall 
be excellent and comely for them that are escaped 
of Israel." Isa. 4: 2. The prophet is here extolling 
the pure church of the evening light. He goes on 
to show how the church is purified. "And it shall 
come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that 
remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even 
every one that is written among the living in Jerusa- 
lem. When the Lord shall have purged away the 
filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged 
the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by 
the spirit of judgement, and by the spirit of burning." 
Verses 3, 4. The terms Zion and Jerusalem are me- 
taphors signifying the New Testament church. The 
prophet shows that the spirit of judgement and the 
spirit of burning are God's means for its purification. 

Let us follow these spirits into another text or two. 
We will turn to the first chapter of Isaiah's prophecy. 
In verses 21-23 tne prophet bewails the state of the 
church under the apostasy. In verses 24-31 he 
foretells her complete restitution to her pristine state. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 173 

But by what means is this restoration to be brought 
about? "Zion shall be redeemed with judgement." 
Verse 27. "And I will restore thy judges as at 
the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning." 
Verse 26. By this he means that he will raise up 
preachers in the evening who will preach the whole 
truth, and "execute the judgements written" as loyal- 
ly as did the apostles in the morning. He further 
shows in verse 26 that with such instrumentality the 
Lord shall so exalt his church in purity that she 
shall be known by the appellation of "city of 
righteousness, the faithful city," such as she retro- 
graded from in verse 21. 

In the tenth chapter of Isaiah we have a further 
description of the spirit of burning. "Therefore shall 
the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones 
leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a 
burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of 
Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a 
flame: and it shall devour his thorns and his briers 
in one day." Verses 16, 17. Thorns and briers sig- 
nify the corruptions of ungodly professors. Burning, 
fire, and fiame are all metaphors that signify holiness. 
This prophecy relates to the latter day holiness 
reformation as the prophet shows in verses 22, 23; 
where he speaks of a "consumption determined in 
the midst of all lands which shall overflow with 
righteousness." Holiness is here set forth as a con- 
sumption, because it consumes the sins and works of 
men. "In the midst of all land" signifies that this 



174 THE CHURCH. 

holiness reformation shall be universal. There is 
another precious thought in this chapter which will 
serve as a key to all the above predictions of fire, 
flame, burning, consumption, etc. The prophet as- 
sociates the deliverance of the people of God from 
staying upon him that smote them, and the destruc- 
tion of the yoke (sect yoke), with the consumption 
decree. Verses 20, 27. 

By this we are enabled to see more clearly the 
nature of the reformation of which the prophet 
speaks. Present facts prove the evening light to be 
this very reformation. We will now see what is to 
be accomplished in this evening reformation. "And 
at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince 
which standeth for the children of thy people: and 
there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was 
since there was a nation even to that same time: and 
at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one 
that shall be found written in the book." Dan. 12: 
1. When shall Michael stand up? In "the time of 
the end." Verse 4. 

Is Michael a man of war? "And there was war in 
heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the 
dragon; and the dragon fought, and his angels, and 
prevailed not; neither was their place found any 
more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, 
that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan which 
deceiveth the whole world: he was cast into the earth, 
and his angels were cast out with him." 

Many suppose this war to have been fought in the 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 175 

third heaven around God's throne; and consider the 
above a history of the origin of the de'vil. But such 
is a false interpretation; for we have before proven 
that the prophecies of Revelation relate solely to 
the Christian era; and we have account of the devil 
four thousand years before. The ecclesiastical war 
now raging upon the earth is the very war predicted 
in the text we have just quoted. 

Michael is a metaphor signifying Christ. 

But some may ask: In what sense did the devil 
dwell in heaven? In answer I would say: Sectism is 
the heaven in which the devil dwelt. As God's 
church is a heaven upon the earth, and as she at one 
time dwelt in sectism, God to honor the habitation 
of his people denominated it heaven. The devil and 
all kinds of his agents dwelt in sectism, hence in 
heaven. 

Next we will notice how the devil is cast out of 
heaven. "And after these things I saw another an- 
gel come down from heaven, having great power; 
and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he 
cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon 
the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habi- 
tation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and 
a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all 
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her 
fornication, and the kings of the earth have commit- 
ted fornication w T ith her, and the merchants of the 
earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her 
delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven. 



176 THE CHURCH. 

saying, Come out of her my* people, that ye be not 
partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her 
plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven, and 
God hath remembered her iniquities." Rev. 18: 1-5. 

The term Babylon in the book of Revelations sig- 
nifies sectism. Babylon was the name of a great 
and mighty city of ancient times, which grew so 
proud and corrupt that God had to overthrow it. It 
was a type of modem sectism, which is, therefore, 
called by its name throughout the prophetic writings. 
After the fall of literal Babylon a certain king re- 
paired its walls and made it a home for all kinds of 
foul beasts and birds. , This typified that sectism, the 
antitypical Babylon, should after its downfall become 
the habitation of all kinds of foul spirits, according 
to the above prophecy. 

Unclean and- hateful birds in the above signify 
unclean and hateful spirits. Such terms are doubtless 
employed to call our attention back to the type. 

As soon as literal Babylon fell the Jews began to 
return to Jerusalem. This typified that as soon as 
sectism should fall God would begin to call his peo- 
ple out of her, and lead them unto "Mount Zion," 
"The church of the fiistborn, which are written in 
heaven." Sectism has now fallen, and the voice from 
heaven, saying, "Come out of her my people"is echoing 
in every clime. 

"Hail the day so Jong expected, 

Hail the year of full release, 
Zion's walls are now erected, 

And the watchmen live in peace. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 177 

From the distant courts of Zion 
The shrill trumpets loudly roar : 

Babylon's fallen, fallen, fallen, 
Babylon's to rise no more. 1 ' 

But will all the children of God come out of Baby- 
lon? Yea, answers Daniel, "every one that shall be 
found written in the book [of life]." Dan. 12: 1. 
The Revelator's description of the state of fallen 
Babylon also shows that all the saints will be called 
out of her. "The light of a candle shall shine no more 
at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and 
of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee." 
Rev. 18: 23. Ccuidle light signifies the grace of 
regeneration. Bridegroom and bride signify Christ 
and the church. When all the members of God's 
church shall have abandoned sectism, the ecclesias- 
tical heaven will all be out of her. And though the 
devil remain in her, he will no longer remain in 
heaven, for she will have ceased to be a heaven, 

This thought carefully studied will enable the 
reader to understand how God "gathers out of his 
kingdom all things that offend and them which do 
iniquity." Mat. 13: 41. Another thought closely 
allied to the one just considered is the re-gathering of 
God's elect. Jesus says concerning this: "And he 
shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, 
and they shall gather together his elect from the four 
winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now 
learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet 
tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that sum- 
mer is nigh: so likewise ye, when ye shall see all 



178 THE CHURCH. 

these things, know that it is near, even at the doors." 
Matt. 24: 31-33- 

Many have supposed that the gathering together 
here promised is to take place immediately after 
Christ's second advent. But the context clearly 
shows that it will immediately precede his coming, 
and be a sure sign unto us that he is at the doors. 
Jesus denominates it "the sign of the Son of man." 
Matt. 24: 30. 

The fact that this gathering together is to be ac- 
complished through angels has perhaps misled some 
minds who have not observed that the pen of inspir- 
ation denominates the universal church on earth "an 
innumerable company of angels." Heb. 12: 22. 

What is the nature of this gathering together? 
Shall all God's people be gathered together into one 
sect? I suppose that very few sectarians would op- 
pose such a movement, if it were to bring them all 
into their sect. But such is not the nature of this 
reformation. It is to deliver the elect "out of all 
places where they have been scattered in the cloudy 
and dark day." Ezek. 34: 12. 

We have before seen that the cloudy day is the 
age of Protestantism. That the places out of which 
the saints are to be gathered, are nought else than 
the Protestant sects. Such is the nature of the 
movement now working in all the world. 

The evening light is breaking 

On every distant plain, 
The sons of God are crying, 

Adown with sectish reign. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 179 

"Each gale that sweeps the ocean 

Brings tidings from afar, 
Of nations in commotion, 

Prepared for Zion's war." 

u Oh behold the angels flying, 
Sounding loud the trump of God ; 

Gathering home the sons of Zion, 
Sanctified in Jesus' blood. 1 ' 

We will next notice that the evening light is to 
restore the church to her apostolic faith and power, 
to heal the sick and work miracles. Jesus once 
asked the question: "When the Son of man cometh, 
shall he find faith on the earth?" The majority of 
sectarians are by their doctrine answering No: for 
they hold that the day of miracles is past. But how 
speaketh the word of God on this subject? Let us 
search it and see. "Simon Peter, a servant and an 
apostle of Jesus Christ; to them that have obtained 
like precious faith with us through the righteousness 
of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. 1: 1. 

Peter here addresses his epistle to them •"hat have 
obtained the same faith the apostles had. It must, 
therefore, be possible for men in all ages of the 
Christian era to obtain such faith, or this epistle is 
not written unto the church in all ages. Paul tells 
us that God hath miracles and gifts of healing in his 
church, 1 Cor. 12: 28; and as we find no scripture 
telling us that he has taken them out, we rightly con- 
clude that they are in it still. 

We will hear Jesus upon this subject. "And these 
signs shall follow them that believe; in my name 
shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with 



180 THE CHURCH. 

new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if 
they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt 
them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall 
recover." Mark 16: 17, 18. Had Jesus said: These 
signs shall follow the apostles, we might have sup- 
posed that they ended with their death. But he 
says: 'These signs shall follow them that believe." 
Therefore, before it can be proven that the days of 
miracles are past, it must be proven that there are no 
believers upon the earth to day. Again Jesus says: 
"He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall 
he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; 
because I go unto my Father." 

By the above words Jesus meant that after his as- 
cension, when his church should receive the baptism 
of the Holy Ghost, he would have a more faithful 
church to work through, hence could accomplish 
greater works through it than during his incarnation. 

Do you not see, dear reader, that the Bible teaches 
that miracles should continue after Christ's ascension 
forever. They did continue during the morning dis- 
pensation, for more than 200 years after Christ's 
ascension, and were never done away except in the 
unbelieving minds of the people. From the begin- 
ning of the papal age healing faith seems to have 
disappeared from the face of the earth until the time 
of the Wesleys, when we see it again faintly lifting 
its head. The fact that the Wesleys were holiness 
people will confirm the thought which we advanced 
in Part I, Chapter 2, that holiness is the mainspring 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 181 

of all Bible truth. As soon as they possessed holi- 
ness they caught a glimpse of the divine healing of 
the body and practiced it, though they never possess- 
ed the real apostolical gift of healing that the church 
to day possesses. They continued in praver for the 
sick until healing was accomplished; but I have 
never seen any proof in history that they ever laid 
on hands or anointed with oil according to scripture. 
I have before me a history containing relations from 
Wesley's own journals: some of which I will here 
insert, as they may serve to convince the reader of 
the truth of our assertions. 

"Thursday, Oct. 25. — I was sent for to one at 
Bristol, who was taken ill the evening before. (This 
fact I will simply relate, so far as I was an eye 
witness of it.) She lay on the ground furiously 
gnashing her teeth, and, after a while roared aloud. 
It was not easy for three or four persons to hold her, 
especially when the name of Jesus was used. We 
prayed; the violence of her symptoms ceased, though 
without a complete deliverance. In the evening, 
being sent for to her again, I was unwilling, indeed 
afraid to go, thinking it would not avail, unless some 
who were strong in faith were to wrestle with God 
for her. I opened my testament on these words: / 
was afraid, and went and hid my talent in a napkin. I 
stood reproved, and went immediately. She began 
screaming aloud before I came into the room, then 
broke out into a horrid laughter, mixed with bias 
phemy grievous to hear. One who, from many 



1 82 THE CHURCH. 

circumstances, apprehended a preternatural agent to 
be concerned in this, asked, How didst thou dare to 
enter into a Christian? Was answered, She is not a 
Christian, she is mine. Q. Dost thou not tremble at 
the name of Jesus? No words followed; she shrunk 
back and trembled exceedingly. Q. Art thou not 
increasing thine own damnation? It was faintly 
answered, Ay, ay, which was followed with cursing 
and swearing. — My brother coming in, she cried out, 
Preacher, field preacher! I do not love field preach- 
ing! This was followed with spitting and all the 
expressions of strong aversion. — We left her at 
twelve, but called again about noon on Friday, 27. 
And now it was that God showed he heareth the 
prayer. All her pangs ceased in a moment. She 
was filled with peace, and knew that the son of 
wickedness was departed from her." Journal IV, 

PagC Q2. 

"Saturday, 28. I was sent for to King's-wood 
again, to one of those who had been so ill before. A 
violent rain began just as I set out, so that I was 
thoroughly wet in a few minutes. Just at that time 
the woman (then three miles off) cried out, Yonder 
comes Wesley galloping as fast as he can. When I 
was come, I was quite cold and dead * and fitter for 
sleep than prayer. She burst out into a horrid laugh- 
ter, and said, No power! no power! no faith! no faith! 
She is mine. Her soul is mine. I love her, and will 
not let her go. 

* Dull, numb. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. .183 

We begged of God to increase our faith. Mean- 
while her pangs increased more and more: so that 
one would have imagined, by the violence of the 
throes, her body must have been shattered to pieces. 

One who was clearly convinced that this was no 
natural disorder, said, I think Satan is let loose. I 
fear he will not stop here. And added, I command 
thee, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to tell if thou 
hadst commission to torment any other soul. It was 
immediately answered, I have — L — y C — r, and S — h 
J — s, two who lived at some distance, and were then 
in perfect health. We took ourselves to prayer again, 
and ceased not, till she began, about six o'clock, with 
a clear voice, and composed and cheerful look, 
"Praise God from whom all blessings flow." Journal IV, 
Page 94. 

"Friday, May 8, 1 74 1. I found myself much out 
of order; however, I made shift to preach in the 
evening. But on Saturday my bodily strength quite 
failed, so that for several hours I could scarce lift 
my head. Sunday, 10, I was obliged to lie down 
most part of the day, being easy only in that posture. 
Yet, in the evening my weakness was suspended 
while I was calling sinners to repentance. But at 
our love feast, which followed, besides the pain in 
my back and head, and fever which still continued 
upon me, I began to pray, I was seized with such a 
cough that I could hardly speak. At the same time 
came strongly into my mind, these signs shall follow 
those who believe. I called on Jesus aloud to increase 



1 84 THE CHURCH. 

my faith, and to confirm the word of his grace. 
While I was speaking my pain vanished away. The 
fever left me, my bodily strength returned; and for 
many weeks I felt neither weakness or pain. Unto 
thee, Lord! do I give thanks." Journal IV, Page 83. 

"Saturday, Dec. 25, 1742. The physician told me 
he could do no more, Mr. Meyrick could not live 
over night. I went up and found them all crying 
about him; his legs being cold and ( as it seemed ) 
dead already. We all kneeled down, and called upon 
God with strong cries and tears. He opened his 
eyes and called for me, and from that hour he con- 
tinued to recover his strength, till he was restored to 
perfect health. — I want to hear, who will disprove 
this fact, or philosophically account for it?" Journal 
V, Page 81. 

These accounts are given in Mr. Formey's Eccles- 
iastical History, Vol. II, Pages 261 — 265. Other 
interesting accounts of the manifestation of divine 
power are given in the same history, which we for- 
bear to quote. The first two we have inserted are 
cases of real possession, which requires some experi- 
ence to clearly understand. I have seen similar cases 
delivered through the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 
Such power did not continue long with the Metho- 
dists, because they soon drifted away from holiness; 
and healing faith fell asleep again until she with the 
rest of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, were aroused in 
the present holiness reformation to fall asleep no 
more. Every year the healing power increases in 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 185 

the church of the living God. Fevers, consumption, 
palsy, measles, blindness, broken bones ( without 
even a physician to set them), and many other ail- 
ments have already been healed through the name 
of Jesus; and verily I say unto thee, dear reader, Thou 
shalt see greater things than these. I doubt not that 
the dead will be raised before the last day. But be 
this as it may, God shall bring forth what he wills, 
through whom he wills, in his own time. The 
evening light will also restore a pure language unto 
the people of God. "For then will I turn to the 
people a pure language, that they may all call upon 
the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." 
Zeph. 3: 9. 

Babylon teachers have brought in an unsound and 
unbiblical language. Such as, wrongly applying 
Biblical terms; nicknaming sacred ordinances; as- 
cribing the prerogative of God to man, etc. 

The word church is used by them to designate a 
house of worship, while in the Bible it always desig- 
nates a congregation of saints. They also nickname 
sects churches. 

The word reverend is most blasphemously used in 
Babylon. Every preacher is called reverend. The 
literal meaning of this term is, to be feared, and no 
man is worthy of such a title. It is found but once 
in the Bible, where it is ascribed to the deity. Psa. 
in: 9. He is the only reverend in the church of God. 

The word baptis?n is erroneously applied to a 
human-invented rite of sprinkling. The ordinances 



1 86 THE CHURCH. 

of the New Testament they have nicknamed sacra- 
ments. Sacrament is from the latin word sacrameutum, 
an oath. In the creeds of Babylon we read of from 
two to seven sacraments; but in the New Testament 
we read: "Swear not at all." Matt. 5: 34. God has 
therefore ordained no swearings, hence we reject this 
term entirely as it is used in sectarian literature, and 
call God's institutions by the names he has given 
them. * 

The phrases, "Join the church," "Open che doors 
of the church," so common in all Babylon pulpits, 
are also unbiblical; hence unsound, and improper. It is 
perhaps useless for us to continue any further under 
this heading, as many points of present truth have 
been expounded in rormer chapters. So we will 
bring the present one to a close with the following 
thought: — God hath made no change in ecclesiastical 
things since the days of the apostles. All, therefore, 
that have been made, have been accomplished by 
men. The evening light shall sweep them all away, 
and restore all things to the standard under which 
Christ introduced the gospel to mankind. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE EVENING LIGHT FORESEEN BY THE SAINTS IN 
PROTESTANTISM. 

Protestants have long since discovered from per- 
using the sacred writings, that near the end of time 
great revolutions and upheavals should come. But 
it has been a question in the minds of many of them, 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 187 

whether they should be of a religious or political 
nature. 

BAXTER. 

Baxter of England takes the political side and 
literalizes most every prophecy of the Bible. In a 
book entitled "Forty Coming Wonders," he prophe- 
sies of great wars and conflicts to take place in the 
last ten years previous to the second advent of Christ; 
which he says will occur about A. D. 1897 — 1900. 
The poor man sees some kind of changes are to be 
brought about, but is so destitute of spiritual vision 
that he cannot perceive of what nature they are. It 
is now past the time that his national upheavals 
should commence, but we see no such things trans- 
piring. Only the expiration of the current decade 
will be needed to prove him a false prophet. Baxter 
bases his predictions chiefly upon texts which have 
met their fulfillment nearly two thousand years ago. 
We acknowledge that the Bible foretells the prepar- 
ation for a great politico-religious disturbance just 
before the end. But the final conflagration shall 
prevent its maturity. 

FLETCHER. 

"Only he will come with more mercy, and will 
increase the light that shall be at evening tide, ac- 
cording to his promise in Zech. 14: 7. I should 
rather think that the visions are not yet plainly 
disclosed; and that the day and year in which the 
Lord will begin to make bare his arm openly are still 
concealed from us. O when will the communion of 



1 88 THE CHURCH. 

saints be complete? Lord hasten the time; and let 
me have a place among them that love thee, and love 
one another in sincerity." 

The above is an extract from a letter written by 
John Fletcher to Mr. Wesley, dated London, May 
26, 1757, as given in Joseph Benson's Life of Fletcher, 
pages 39, 40. 

NELSON. 

The following are extracts from a book entitled 
''Cause and Cure of Infidelity," written by David 
Nelson, copyrighted in A. D. 1841. "And the ten 
horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have 
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as 
kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, 
and shall give their power and strength unto the 
beast. Rev. 17: 12, 13. * * * And the ten horns 
which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate 
the~whore [Romanism], and shall make her desolate 
and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with 
fire. Verse 16. * * * These ten horns were, it seems 
according to verse thirteen, to favor the whore, all 
of them. But from this other verse, it seems they 
are after a time to begin to hate and impoverish 
her. England has long since withheld her revenues. 
France did not begin to withhold or to impoverish 
her in any way until she, France, became an infidel 
nation. But have all the ten, all of them to waste 
her? So it states. And indeed two more, Spain and 
Portugal have already half broken their bonds of 
allegiance. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 189 

These, as France has done, and as Austria and 
others probably will do, as soon as they discovered 
that the priests had been teaching nothing but im- 
posture for centuries, not only cast away their old 
faith, but the Bible along with it. Is not atheism, or 
something resembling it, the natural outlet or term- 
ination of a false Christianity? The work of making 
desolate and naked has certainly been going on long. 
It is becoming more and more distinct. Recent 
events make it still more marked. But how is this? 
What is this I see, and what is this I hear? 'And 
shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire!' This is 
to come yet. Will it really be brought to pass? It 
eighteen hundred years of events have fitted the 
prophetic declarations so accurately, it is most likely 
that the last items also will not fail. * * * As sure as 
that burning, described in the eighteenth chapter of 
Revelations, ever comes to pass, so certainly some 
other things will take place which bear the same date 
with it, and which concern you. There are many 
things which can not be very far before us, and 
which will come unexpectedly upon those who con- 
tinue contentedly ignorant of God's book; and they 
are of pressing import in the case of those who now 
live." 

The following is Nelson's comments on a part of 
the seventh chapter of Daniel. 

"The ninth and fourteenth verses inclusive, tell of 
the casting down of other authorities and the setting 
up of the dominion of the man of Calvary So much 



i go THE CHURCH. 

is told of the grandeur, majesty, splendor, and dread- 
fulness of the Ancient of days when he comes to pass 
sentence on the Roman power, to cast his body to 
the flames, and to overturn all opposers, that many 
have mistaken it for the final judgement. Although 
not the finai conflagration, these verses do indeed 
speak of an awful visitation, and of dreadful judge- 
ments. These hours of interest and of terror are 
before us, and we do not know but they are just at 
hand." 

d'aubigne, a. d. 1845. 

"In every age it has been seen how great is the 
strength of an idea to penetrate the masses to stir 
nations, and to hurry them, if required, by thousands 
to the battle-field and to'death. But if so great be 
the strength of a human idea, what power must not a 
heaven-descended idea possess, when God opens to 
it the gates of the heart! The world has not often 
seen so much power at work; it was seen, however, 
in the early days of Christianity, and in the time of 
the reformation; and it will be seen in future ages." 
History of the Reformation, Book VI, Qwpt. 12. 

" It has been said that the three last centruies, the 
sixteenth, the seventeenth, and the eighteenth, may 
be conceived as an immense battle of three days 
duration. We willingly adopt this beautiful . com- 
parison. * * * The first day was the battle of God, 
the second the battle of the priest, the third the 
battle of reason. What will be the fourth? In our 
opinion, the confused strife, the deadly contest of 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 191 

all these powers together, to end in the victory of 
Him to whom triumph belongs." — Book Xf, Chapt. Q. 

" ' Let us confess our union in all things in which 
we agree,' said Zwingle; ' and as for the rest, let us 
remember that we are brothers. There will never 
be peace between the churches, if, while we maintain 
the grand doctrine of salvation by faith, we cannot 
differ on secondary points.' Such is, in fact, the 
true principle of Christian union. The sixteenth 
century was still too deeply sunk in scholasticism to 
understand this: let us hope that the nineteenth 
century will comprehend it better." — Book XIII, Ch.j. 

"The nineteenth century is called to resume the 
work which the sixteenth century was unable to 
accomplish." — Book XV, Chapt. 1. 

"The sixteenth century was the epoch of, a great 
separation; the nineteenth must be that of a great 
union. It is a long time since I expressed some- 
where this sentiment, and I adhere to it. If Romish 
uniformity, which destroys all proper life, all spon- 
taneous actions, and changes the church into a dead 
body, is an evil; the separation of protestant churches, 
the manner in which they continue estranged one 
from another, their mutual coldness, their intolerance, 
their* differences, are certainly not a good. The 
church has in our days a great step to take. The 
various parts of which it is composed must not 
remain scattered members. The word of the Lord 
comes to us saying, ' I will put breath in you.' Ezek. 
37:6. Already a 'noise' is heard, a 'shaking' is 



192 THE CHURCH. 

felt; the various members come together." — V.y, Intro. 
From the above quotations, especially the third 
one, it is clearly seen that the great historian did not 
discern the true nature of the reformation he fore- 
told. He seemed to think it would be a union of 
the sects, instead of a gathering together of the 
people. But let us remember that thirty-five years 
intervened between his prediction and its fulfillment. 
If he had written in the current decade, he could 
have given a better description of the nineteenth 
century reformation. 

LORENZO DOW. 

The following is Lorenzo Dow's comment on Rev. 
14:6-11; 18:1-5. "The angel spoken of in Rev. 
14:6, 7, ■ flying through the midst of heaven, having 
the everlasting gospel to preach,' etc., I doubt not 
made his appearance at Moorsfield's about 1739, and 
which the concomitants are now publishing their 
creed, contained in the text. [It was here and then 
that the present great revival of religion began. 
Observe 'judgment must first begin at the house 
of God ' also]. 

Again, " The angel, or extraordinary messenger, 
with his assistants, proclaiming the fall of Babylon, 
will be known in his time. — V. 8. Also the one 
warning the people of God to come out of Babylon, 
both literal, spiritual, and practical, will be known 
also, and such another threatening for the omission 
of compliance is not to be found in all the Bible." 
— V. g to 11. From Dow's Works, page jjj. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 193 

"The Jews assert, that according to their chron- 
ology, the temple of Solomon was destroyed by 
Nebuchadnezzar, four hundred and twenty-two years 
before'Christ; and the angel told Daniel that from 
the time of daily sacrifice being taken away, and the 
abomination that maketh desolate set up, should be 
two thousand three hundred days; when the sanctu- 
ary should be cleansed, and everlasting righteousness 
brought in. Now, if we count two thousand three 
hundred years from the four hundred and twenty- 
second year before Christ, it will bring us to the 
year 1878, when this great period of Daniel will have 
its accomplishment." — P. 57/. 

The cosmopolite has here foretold within two 
years the exact date of the ushering in of the evening 
light. He did not find the right starting stake from 
which to measure; hence the error. We will explain 
the two thousand three hundred days in the next 
chapter. 

HYMNS FORETELLING THE EVENING LIGHT. 



The Pure Testimony. 

" The pure testimony put forth in the Spririt 

Cuts sharp like a two-edged sword, 

And hypocrites now are most sorely tormented, 

Because they're condemned by the Word. 

The pure testimony discovers the dross, 

While wicked professors make light of the cross, 

And Babylon trembles for fear of her loss. 

Is not the time come for the church to be gathered, 
Into the one Spirit of God, 



194 THE CHURCH. 

Baptized by one Spirit into the one" body, 
Partaking Christ's flesh and his blood? 
They drink in one Spirit which makes them all see 
They're one in Christ Jesus wherever they be, 
The Jew and the Gentile, the bond and the free. 

Then blow ye the trumpet in pure testimony, 

And let the world hear it again. 

O come ye from Babylon, Egypt, and Sodom, 

And make your way over the plain; 

Come wash all your robes in the blood of the Lamb, 

And walk in the Spirit as Jesus has done, 

Through pure testimony you will overcome. 

The world will not persecute those who are like them, 

But hold them the same as their own. 

The pure testimony cries out separation, 

Which causes false teachers to foam. 

Come out from their spirit and practices too; 

The track of the Savior keep still in your view, 

The pure testimony will cut its way through. 

A battle is coming between the two kingdoms, 

The armies are gath'ring around. 

The pure testimony and vile persecution 

Will come to close contest ere long. 

Then gird on the armor, ye saints of the Lord, 

And he will direct you by his loving word; 

The pure testimony will cut like a sword. 

The great Prince of darkness is mustering his forces 

To make you his prisoners again; 

By slander, reproaches, and vile persecutions, 

That you in his cause may remain. 

Then shun his temptations wherever they lay, 

And fear not his servants whatever they say; 

The pure testimony will give you the day." 

— From Christian Hymnal. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 195 

The glorious day is drawing nigh 

When Zion's light shall come; 
She shall arise and shine on high, 

Clear as the morning sun. 
The North and South their songs resign, 

And Earth's strong pillars bend; 
Clothed as a bride, Jerusalem 

All glorious shall descend. 

The king who bears the golden crown, 

The azure flaming bow, 
The holy city shall bring down, 

To bless his saints below. 
When Zion's bleeding, conq'ring king 

Shall sin and death destroy, 
The morning stars together sing, 

And Zion shout for joy. 

The holy, bright musician bands 

Tune all their harps of gold, 
With palms of victory in their hands, 

Fair Salem to behold, 
Descending with such melting strains, 

Jehovah's name adore; 
Such notes through earth's extensive plains 

Were never heard before. 

Let Satan rage and boast no more, 

Ye fiends of darkness fly! 
Though saints are feeble, weak and poor, 

Their great Redeemer's nigh; 
He is their shield, their hiding place, 

A covert from the wind; 
A shady rock of boundless grace, 

Throughout this weary land. 

The crystal streams run down from heaven, 

They issue from the throne, 
The floods of strife away are driven, 



196 THE CHURCH. 

The church becomes but one. 
That peaceful union she shall know, 

And live upon His love; 
And shout and sing of grace below, 

As angels do above." 

Z 'ion's Desolation and Recovery. 

" Poor Zion lies in sore distress, 

Her walls are broken down; 
The briers of the wilderness, 

Her walks have overgrown. 
Her palaces are desolate, 

Her courts a place of owls; 
The Satyr there doth meet his mate; 

And nest for other fowls. 

A dreadful curse hath overspread 

The land both far and wide; 
The nations mourn for lack of bread, 

The springs of water dried. 
Go, go, ye priests before the Lord, 

And at his altar mourn; 
That he may sheath his dreadful sword, 

And let his grace return. 

Methinks the clouds begin to move, 

Sweet Spring is drawing near; 
The voice of the sweet turtle dove, 

The land begins to cheer. 
Methinks 1 hear the watchman cry, 

O Zion, now behold; 
With eagles' wings you soon shall fly, 

The feathers tinged with gold. 

Your wall again shall be rebuilt, 

Your palaces around; 
The Lord who has removed your guilt, 

Doth rich in grace abound. 
He'll pave your streets with purest gold, 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 197 

Your gates with diamonds bright; 
Your riches never can be told, 
You are the Lord's delight." 

The last two hymns are from Lorenzo Dow's 
works. They foretell the evening light, but are, it 
seems, a little blended with error. 

One Fold and One Shepherd. 

" Now is the time approaching, 

By prophets long foretold,. 
When all shall dwell together, 

One Shepherd and one fold. 
Now Jew and Gentile meeting. 

From many a distant shore; 
Around one altar kneeling, 

One common Lord adore. 
Let all that now divides us 

Remove and pass away, 
Like shadows of the morning 

Before the blaze of day. 
Let all that now unites us 

More sweet and lasting prove, 
A closer bond of union, 

In a blest land of love." 

— Gospel Hymnal, No. §18. 

Philip Philips, in that well known hymn of his, 
entitled, " Congregational Singing," foretells a future 
unity of the church, such as is being brought about 
at the present time. Said hymn is a relation of a 
dream by the author. The prophecy is contained in 
the third verse. I will insert it below, and the reader 
can interpret it for himself. 

"The scene was changed; and as I passed 
Along the sea of time, 



ig8 THE CHURCH. 

The church of God, with one concert, 

From earth's remotest clime, 
United at the self-same hour, 

In lofty strains to raise 
One loud, ecstatic burst of joy, 

One glorious hymn of praise." 

There is another grand old hymn which would 
have added to the excellency of this chapter; but 
being, as yet, unable to procure a copy of the ori- 
ginal, we are compelled to omit it. The first verse 
begins somewhat as follows: 

" Is not the time coming the prophets have foretold, 
When Zion in purity the world shall behold?" etc. 

This hymn is an explicit prophecy of the evening 
light, written perhaps a half century ago. 

HYMNS EXPRESSING A YEARNING FOR THE EVEN- 
ING LIGHT. 

" Let thy kingdom, blessed Savior, 

Come and bid our jarring cease; 
Come, O come, and reign forever, 

God of love, and Prince of peace: 
Visit now thy precious Zion, 

See thy people mourn and weep, 
Day and night thy lambs are crying, 

Come, good Shepherd, feed thy sheep. 

Many follow men's inventions, 

And submit to human laws; 
Hence divisions and contentions 

Sully the Redeemer's cause: 
Hence we suffer persecution, 

While the foolish virgins sleep; 
All is uproar and confusion, 

Come, good Shepherd, lead thy sheep. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 199 

Some of Paul, some of Apollos, 

Some of Cephas, few agree; 
Jesus, let us hear thee call us, 

Help us, Lord, to follow thee: 
Then we'll rush through what encumbers, 

Ev'ry hindrance overleap; 
Fearing not their force or numbers, 

Come, good Shepherd, feed thy sheep. 

Come, good Lord, with courage arm us, 

Persecution we'll not fear; 
Nothing, Lord, we know can harm us, 

While our loving Shepherd's near: 
Glory! glory! give Him glory, 

Strong is He, and He will keep; 
He will clear our way before us, 

The good Shepherd feeds his sheep." 

— Christian Hymnal, No. 570. 

" Restore, O Father! to our times .restore 
The peace which filled thine infant church of yore, 
Ere lust of power had sown the seeds of strife, 
And quenched the new-born charities of life." 

— One verse of No. 461 in an old Campbcllite hymn book. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE CLEANSING OF THE SANCTUARY. 

To show the harmony of the scriptures, and to 
more firmly establish present truth in the minds of 
our readers, we deem it essential to show by another 
line of prophecy the date of the fall of mystic Baby- 
lon, and of the coming of the evening light. In 
the book of Daniel we read: "Then I heard one 
saint speaking, and another saint said unto that 



200 THE CHURCH. 

certain saint which spake, How long shall be the 
vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the trans- 
gression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary 
and the host to be trodden under foot? And he 
said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred 
days: then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. Chap- 
ter 8, verses 13, 14. 

" Sanctuary " signifies a sacred place; a consecra- 
ted spot, a holy site; a house consecrated to the 
worship of God; a place where divine service is 
performed; a church; a place of refuge and protec- 
tion; shelter; refuge." — Webster. In scripture this 
term is applied to the tabernacle pitched by Moses 
in the wilderness (Ex. 25: 8) where God dwelt among 
the Jews; which tabernacle was a type of the church 
of God. Heb. 9: 24; 10: 1-4. Therefore, typically, 
the word sanctuary signifies the church of God, and 
not the glory world as some affirm. It is generally 
used in the prophecies with this signification. 

DEFILEMENT. 

There could be no cleansing of the sanctuary, 
except there had first been a defilement; for the 
church was pure and undefiled in its primeval state. 
The principal elements of the apostolic church were 
purity, unity, humility, peace, love, etc., etc. Its 
defilement, therefore, must mean the bringing in of 
antagonizing elements, such as impurities, divisions, 
pride and arrogance, contention and strife, hatred, 
emulation, sects, etc. The manner of the defilement 
is somewhat described in Part I, Chapter II, so we 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 201 

will here do little more than refer to some scripture 
in which it is foretold. 

"And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of 
my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, 
where I will dwell in the midst of the children of 
Israel forever, and my holy name shall the house of 
Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, 
by their whoredom, nor by the carcasses of their 
kings in their high places. In their setting of their 
thresholds by my thresholds, and their posts by my 
posts, and the wall between me and them, they have 
even defiled my holy name by their abominations 
that they have committed: wherefore I have con- 
sumed them in mine anger." Ezek. 43: 7, 8. 

The diagram on the following page explains the 
above text, better than we can explain it in words. 
In this diagram is represented the tabernacle Moses 
pitched in the wilderness, with some extra pens 
built across its walls. The tabernacle, as before 
shown, represents the church of God. The court 
represents the state of convicted sinners, and men 
who have good desires, and are friendly toward 
the truth. The holy place represents the state of 
regeneration: the place called "holiest of all," the 
state of entire sanctification: the two altars, the two 
consecrations, etc. The extra pens across the walls 
of the tabernacle represent the various sects that 
men have built. 

In the sects, as the diagram shows, the majority 
are without the walls of the church; that is, are not 



j-unoo 



o 
o 
c 



r 



T ro 



> 

r 



1 



^1 

TT 1 



to 



3 



yav 



HOLIEST OF ALL 



I 
U 
DC 



ALTAR 



laver(^J 

ALTAR 1 F 



H h 



2 

o 



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o 
n 






2 






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COURT 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 203 

saved. Therefore, saith the Lord, " The wall between 
me and them." The figures in that part of the pen 
extending within the holy place represent those in 
the various sects who are actually converted. They 
are yoked up in the sects with unbelievers, hence 
unscripturally yoked; for the word of God says: "Be 
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." 
2 Cor. 6: 14. But they are all in the church, and 
would all be together, as God designed them to be, 
were they not held apart by the sects they are in. 

Oh ye sect founders, hear the word of the Lord. 
" Every founder is confounded by the graven image, 
for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no 
breath in them." Jer. 51: 17. "Now let them put 
away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their 
kings, tar from me, and I will dwell in the midst of 
them forever." Ezek. 43: 9. The sanctuary was not 
defiled in a day, but gradually the devil added to the 
" mystery of iniquity," which Paul, in his day, saw 
working; until a great tower of babel confusion, and 
false doctrines, was built up, which drove God far 
off from his sanctuary (Ezek. 8:6), and hid the true 
church and doctrine of the Bible from the eyes of 
the people. This great babel tower of human eccles- 
iasticism passed for centuries as the Zion of the 
Bible. 

CLEANSING. 

If the defilement of God's sanctuary signifies the 
bringing in of elements, foreign, and antagonistic to 
those of the primitive church; the cleansing must 



204 THE CHURCH. 

mean the restitution of all things to the apostolic 
standard. We will not enlarge upon this branch of 
the subject, as it is the time, and not the manner of 
the cleansing, which we design to show in this chapter. 

TIME. 

We have seen that it should be two thousand 
three hundred days until the sanctuary should be 
cleansed; a day represents a year, hence, two thou- 
sand three hundred years. We must first find where 
the two thousand three hundred years begin, after 
which it will be easily determined where they end. 
No starting stake is given in the chapter where they 
are found. The vision was not completed on this 
occasion, for that part of it already revealed lay so 
heavily upon the heart of Daniel, that he fainted 
and was sick certain days. Dan. 8: 27. 

This was in the third year of the reign of King 
Belshazzar. Dan. 8:1. In the ninth chapter is re- 
corded the interpretation of the vision, delivered 
unto Daniel fifteen years later, in the first year of the 
reign of King Darius. Dan. 9: 1. In the twenty- 
fourth verse is found the key to the vision. If the 
reader will read it in connection with Dan. 8: 14, it 
will be much easier understood. For the conven- 
ience of the reader we will insert them. 

"And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and 
three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be 
cleansed." " Seventy weeks are determined upon 
thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the 
transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 205 

make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in 
everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision 
and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy." "Sev- 
enty weeks are determined upon thy people; " that 
is, seventy weeks of the two thousand three hundred 
days will reach unco the end of the Jewish nation. 

Two kinds of weeks were used by the Jews: a 
week of seven days duration ending with a sabbath 
of one day (Ex. 20:9, 10); and a week of seven 
years duration, ending with a sabbath of one year's 
duration. Lev. 25: 1-5. 

If a Jew asserted that it would be two weeks until 
Jubilee, he was understood by all to say fourteen 
years. Daniel makes use of the seven-year week in 
his prophecies. Seventy weeks, therefore, signify 
four hundred and ninety years. If the four hundred 
and ninety years reach unto the end of the Jewish 
nation, we have only to measure back four hundred 
and ninety years from the date of its downfall to 
find the true commencement of the two thousand 
three hundred-years. The fall of the Jewish nation 
occurred in A. D. 70, when Jerusalem, and more than 
a million of the Jews were destroyed, and the rest 
dispersed into every nation under heaven. Measur- 
ing back from this date, the four hundred and ninety 
years will reach unto B. C. 420, the true starting 
stake from which to measure the two thousand three 
hundred years. 

But why did God choose B. C. 420, as a point to 
measure from? Because there is an analogy between 



206 THE CHURCH. 

the events of that date and those to transpire at the 
end of the days. We will appeal to the pages of 
sacred and profane history for a demonstration 
of this fact. 

The Jewish nation was a type of the church of 
God. Their captivity in literal Babylon was a type 
of the captivity of the church of God in spiritual 
Babylon. Their return from literal Babylon to Jeru- 
salem, was a type of the return of God's elect, in 
these last days, from spiritual Babylon unto Mount 
Zion, "the church of the firstborn which are written* 
in heaven." 

The seventy years of the Jew's captivity in Babylon 
began in B. C. 606, and ended in B.C. 536. At that date 
Zerubbabel and a great company of Jews with him, 
returned unto Jerusalem, according to the command- 
ment of Cyrus, king of Persia, carrying with them 
the sacred vessels of the house of the Lord, to re- 
build the temple at Jerusalem. See the book of Ezra. 

In B. C. 457, Ezra, a mighty priest of the law 
went up to Jerusalem. A company of Jews also 
accompanied him. He wrought a great moral re- 
formation in Jerusalem. Ezra, 6th chapter. In B. 
C. 445 Nehemiah went up to Jerusalem, by per- 
mission from King Artaxerxes, to rebuild the walls 
of the holy city. He had obtained from the king 
permission to be absent for twelve years, at the ex- 
piration of which he was to return to Babylon. Neh. 
2:6; 5:14. He rebuilt the walls, and reigned as 
governor in Jerusalem, until the expiration of the 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 207 

twelve years, when he returned to his station in the 
Persian court. After his departure from Jerusalem, 
a great many corruptions crept in among the Jews. 
Neh. 13. Eliashib the priest permitted Tobiah, who 
had previously proved himself an inveterate enemy 
of the Jews, to move into a chamber in the house of 
God. The Levitical worship ceased. The Sabbath 
was profaned, etc. 

We are told in the Bible that Nehemiah made a 
second trip to Jerusalem and corrected those errors 
among the Jews. The Bible does not give us the 
date of his return, but it tells us he was absent from 
Jerusalem long enough for some of the Jews to marry 
Gentile women and raise children big enough to talk. 
Neh. 13:23, 24. From the pages of profane history 
we learn that Nehemiah came the second time unto 
Jerusalem about B. C, 424, and that his second 
reformation was completed about B. C. 420. The 
following extract from the work of a noted author 
will enable the reader to see that we have not sur- 
mised the thought we have just advanced: 

"At the expiration of his twelfth year of office, 
when his leave of absence expired, Nehemiah re- 
turned to his station at the Persian court. * * * The 
tidings of this relapse (See Neh. 13: 6-8), occasioned 
much grief to Nehemiah at the Persian court. And 
he ultimately succeeded in obtaining permission to 
return to Judea. He returned in his former capacity 
as governor, and applied himself most vigorously to 
the correction of the evils that had gained ground 



208 THE CHURCH. 

during his absence. [Here a foot note says: "The 
time is uncertain. Hales makes it B C. 424, six years 
after his return to Persia."] His exertions appear to 
have continued for four years, or until the third 
year of Darius Nothus, whom Nehemiah designates 
as Darius the Persian. The end, therefore, of this 
eminent person's second reform, which may be taken 
as the final act in the restoration and settlement of 
the Jews in their own land, may be ascribed to the 
year B. C. 420. — From Kitto's History of the Bible. 
The completion of Nehemiah's second reforma- 
tion, which was the final act in the restoration of the 
Jewish nation, was a type of the present restoration 
of the church to the apostolic standard. Since we 
see this ascribed to B. C. 420, we can understand 
why God chose that date as a point to measure from. 
If, then, the two thousand three hundred years begin 
at B. C. 420, they will reach to A. D. 1880. The 
reader will remember how exactly this accords with 
the prophetic time explained in preceding chapters; 
and that we showed the evening light age to have 
its commencement with that date. 



CHAPTER IV. 

BIBLE PROOFS THAT WE ARE LIVING IN THE 
LAST DAYS. 

"The last days" in scripture sometimes signify 
the Christian era, and sometimes the last age of the 
Christian era. It is our design in this chapter, to 
prove that many events of the present day are sure 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 209 

preludes to the second advent of Christ, and of the 
end of the world; and that we are, therefore, to con- 
sider ourselves near the end of the last age of time. 

SIGNS IN THE WORLD. 

"The chariots shall be with naming torches in the 
day of His preparation, and the fir trees shall be 
terribly shaken. The chariots shall rage in the 
streets, they shall jostle one against another in the 
broad ways; they shall seem like torches, they shall 
run like the lightnings. He shall recount His wor- 
thies: they shall stumble in their walk; they shall 
make haste to the wall thereof, and the defense 
shall be prepared." Nah. 2: 3-5. 

When we behold at a distance a train of cars run- 
ning through the country, and how they seem to be 
drawn by huge torches; and when we stand near the 
track while a heavily loaded freight train is passing, 
and behold how the trees, and even the solid terra 
firma are made to shake terribly; and when we be- 
hold with what rapidity the lightning express trains, 
cannon balls, etc., run through the land; and when 
we get aboard and behold how the handholds are so 
nicely arranged for our defense, and how men en- 
deavoring to walk in them when they are in motion 
are made to stumble; and when we see and hear 
them jostle one against another in the broadest ways 
that traverse our land; we are forced to conclude 
that the railway cars are the very chariots the 
prophet foretold. 

The above prophecy is dated two thousand five 



210 THE CHURCH. • 

hundred and forty-two years before the first locomo- 
tive was invented. And what work of art extant at 
that early date could have been a sign unto the 
prophet that such things would ever exist? There 
were none. In his day all chariots were drawn by 
horses, mules, etc. The power of steam was then 
unknown. But could it be that the prophet hath 
spoken so accurately by presumption? No; it was 
the voice of God. He spake as he was moved by 
the Holy Ghost, that he might give us a sign. And 
when did he say these things should be? " In the 
day of His preparation;" that is, in the day when 
God is preparing his church for the advent of Christ. 

The signs of His coming we see in the land, 
The cars on the railway declare He's at hand; 
They jostle in broadways and rage in the street, 
While Zion's preparing her husband to meet. 

SIGNS IN THE JEWS. 

The signs of the second coming of Christ are 
nowhere more observable than in the Jewish nation. 
Up to the incarnation of Jesus Christ they were 
Jehovah's chosen generation. But when Messias 
appeared they rejected him, and defiled their land 
with his precious blood. This act brought down the 
wrath of God upon them until they ceased to be a 
nation; were driven from their native land, and 
dispersed among all the nations of the earth, where 
they have become a reproach, a taunt, and a prov- 
erb to this day. 

Who has not heard these proverbs: " As stingy as 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 211 

a Jew," " As rich as a Jew," etc. And more terrible 
still, blindness happened to the entire Jewish nation, 
leaving them to die without God and without hope. 
But they were not always to remain in so sad a state. 
Jesus predicted a time when they would say, "Blessed 
is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Luke 
I 3 : 35- By this He meant that they would as a 
nation accept Him as their true Messias. He also 
predicted that coincident with their return to right- 
eousness, they should return to Palestine, their an- 
cient home. Luke 21: 24. These changes are now 
occurring. Thousands of Jews have in the last few 
years, accepted Jesus as their Redeemer. 

In 1879 a treaty was made between the Roths- 
childs, a wealthy Jewish family of England, and 
the Turkish government, in which permission was 
granted the Jews to return to Palestine. Since that 
time they have been gradually returning to their 
ancient home. According to the prophecies of 
Hosea these prosperities were to come to the Jews 
"in the latter days." Hos. 3:4, 5. We are, therefore, 
to look upon them as signals of. the near approach- 
ing of Christ, and of the end of the world. 

The Jews now return to their own land once more, 
Which now is productive as it was before; 
They now with salvation do once more appear; 
This also's a token that Jesus is near. 

SIGNS IN THE CHURCH. 

"And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words 
are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. 



212 THE CHURCH. 

Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; 
but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the 
wicked shall understand; but the wise shall under- 
stand." Dan. 12:9, 10. " But thou, O Daniel, shut 
up the words and seal the book, even to the time of 
the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge 
shall be increased." V. 4. The language of these 
texts explicitly describes the spirit of the evening 
light reformation. And since we see that they are 
to have their fulfillment " in the time of the end," 
we are to consider the evening light a sign of Christ's 
coming, and ourselves upon the very verge of eternity. 

"And I heard as it were the voice of a great mul- 
titude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the 
voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia! for 
the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad 
and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage 
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself 
ready. And to her was granted that she should He 
arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine 
linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith 
unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called 
unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." Rev. 19:6-9. 

Here we have a likeness of the church dressed in 
her wedding adornments, anticipating the coming of 
the Bridegroom. She is now just in the act of pla- 
cing these beautiful garments upon her person 
through the purification of all her members. This 
text is another proof that the evening light is a sign 
of the last days. 



EVENING LIGH1 AGE. 213 

" For, behold, in those days, and in that time, 
when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and 
Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will 
bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and 
will plead with them there for my people and for 
my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among 
the nations, and parted my land. Assemble your- 
selves, and come all ye heathen, and gather your- 
selves together round about: thither cause thy 
mighty ones to come down,0 Lord. Let the heathen 
be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehosha- 
phat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen 
round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is 
ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the 
fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multi- 
tudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the 
day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." 
Joel 3:1, 2, 11-14. 

The evening light is here set forth in another 
figure, that of judgment. Jehoshaphat signifies "God- 
judged." The literal meaning of "valley of Jehosha- 
phat" is "valley where Jehovah judges."-- Cliildeberts. 

Some translate the name Jehoshaphat into "God's 
judgment," and thus read, " The valley of God's 
judgment." — Kitto. 

This definition is sustained in the context, "for 
there will I sit to judge." V. 12. Many commenta- 
tors of the past have applied this prophecy to the 
final, not being able to see the preliminary judgment 
of the last days. That this prophecy has no reference 



214 



THE CHURCH. 



to the final judgment is evident from the fact that this 
judgment is to precede the '■ day of the Lord." V. 14. 
This preparatory judgment is now actually trans- 
piring. God is bringing all nations down to the 
valley of Jehoshaphat. The spirit of this judgment 
is described in the book of Revelation. " I will 
show unto thee the judgment of the great whore." 
Chap. 17, V. 1. " He hath judged the great whore." 
Chap. 19, V. 2. The intervening scripture must de- 
fine the judgment. It is chiefly this, an angel flying 
in the midst of heaven, crying, "Babylon the great 
is fallen," " Come out of her my people." So the 
calling of God's people out of Babylon is the execu- 
tion of the judgments of God upon her. But there 
is another valley mentioned by the prophet. He 
denominates it, " The valley of decision." This 
doubtless signifies the state of rest, serenity, and 
peacefulness enjoyed by those who have made a full 
decision on the side of God and his word. It seems 
that the "valley 
o f Jehoshaphat " 
is the entrance 
into the blissful 
"valley of decis- 
ion." I would 
diagram it th u s: 
" Multitudes, mul- 
t i t u des," are to 
pass through the 
"valley of Jehosh- 



aphat," and enter, 



Valley of Decision. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 215 

into the "valley of decision." Mark the warning: "The 
day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." 
That is, we are near the end of time when the church 
enters " the valley of decision." The fact that we 
already stand in this valley, is unto us a presenti- 
ment that the final judgment hangs just over 
our heads. 

We will further notice that the evening light is set 
forth in the scripture, as a sign of the end of the 
world, in the figure of a universal consumption de- 
cree. " For I have heard from the Lord God of 
hosts a consumption, even determined upon the 
whole earth." Isa. 28:22. " The consumption decreed 
shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord 
God of hosts shall make a consumption, even deter- 
mined in the midst of all the land." For yet a very 
little while, and the indignation shall cease, and 
mine anger in their destruction." Isa. 10:22, 23-25. 
This consumption is now passing over the earth. 
The trashy ecclesiastical machines of men's inven- 
tion, are all melting away in the fire of God's holiness. 
And hearken to the awful words of warning: " For 
yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, 
and mine anger in their destruction." Paul also 
teaches that destruction shall follow the consump- 
tion. 2 Thess. 2: 8. 

Prepare, O Earth, to meet thy Creator. The star 
we inhabit shall soon "reel to and fro like a drunkard; 
and it shall fall, and not rise again." Already it is 
tottering beneath the great load of the transgressions 



216 THE CHURCH. 

of the wicked upon it. We are soon to pass from 
time to eternity. The judgment day is very near, 
" and who shall be able to stand? " 

The gathering of the elect, predicted in the twenty- 
fourth chapter of Matthew, and the thirteenth chap- 
ter of Mark, which we have before explained, also 
shows the evening light to be a sign of the second 
advent of Christ. " When ye shall see all these 
things, know that it is near, even at the doors." 
Matt. 24: 33. 

The fury of God hath come up in his face, 
He riseth with power to deliver his saints; 
The angels are flying to gather them home, 
A positive sign that the Lord's near to come. 



CHAPTER V. 

HEALING OF THE BEAST. 

The beast has already been explained, also his 
wounding; so we will come at once to the subject of 
this chapter. We read concerning the beast: — 

1st. "I saw one of his heads* as it were wounded 
to death." Rev. 13: 3. 

2d. "Which had the wound by a sword and did 
live." Verse. 14. 

3d. "Whose deadly wound was healed." Verse 12. 
"And his deadly wound was healed." Verse 3. The 
language of these texts is, that the beast did not die 

* We have previously applied the seven heads to seven mountains, and 
proved the same position by scripture. In this text it has another signi- 
fication, and should be considered headships. The heads, therefore have 
a. two-fold signification. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 217 

from the effect of his wound, but finally recovered. 

We have shown that he was wounded at the birth 
of Protestantism. What, therefore, can his healing 
mean, but the death of Protestantism? If the separ- 
ation of Protestantism from Romanism wounded the 
beast, what shall heal him but a reuniting of Protes- 
tantism with Romanism? 

The student of the book of Revelation, will see the 
beast in the singular in the papal age, Rev. 13: 1-8; 
a plurality in the Protestant age, Rev. 13: 11-18; and 
in the singular again in the evening light age. Rev. 
15: 2; 14: 9, 11; 19: 20. The healing of the beast is 
foretold and described in the 20th chapter of Rev. 
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having 
the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in 
his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old 
serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound 
him a thousand years. And cast him into the bottom- 
less pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, 
that he should deceive the nations no more, till the 
thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he 
must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, 
and they sat upon them, and judgment was given 
unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were 
beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word 
of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, 
neither his image, neither had received his mark upon 
their foreheads, or in their hands: and they lived and 
reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest 
of the dead lived not again until the thousand years 



218 THE CHURCH. 

were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed 
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; 
on such the second death hath no power; but they 
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign 
with him a thousand years. And when the thousand 
years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his 
prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which 
are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, 
to gather them together to battle: the number of 
whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up 
on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp 
of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire 
came down from God out of heaven, and devoured 
them." Verses 1-9. 

No prophecy of the Bible is, perhaps, so generally 
misunderstood as the above. It is supposed to teach 
a thousand years of universal reign of righteousness 
upon the earth; when nothing of the kind is hinted 
at. This is truly a mysterious prophecy, which re- 
quires the aid of the Holy Spirit to interpret. The 
misconstructions of commentators upon it, have, 
perhaps, established the millennium doctrine in the 
minds of many. Some who have been unable to see 
a millennial reign in any other part of the scriptures, 
have seemed to see it here. The Encyclopaedia 
Britannica asserts that it is the only text in the 
Bible teaching the millennial thousand years. The 
New Testament teaches that the world shall wax 
worse and worse right up to the coming of Christ; so 
there is no room for a millennium before he comes. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 219 

It is further taught in the New Testament that the 
coming of Christ will be the instant of the resurrec- 
tion of both the righteous and the wicked: the gen- 
eral judgment; the rewarding of the righteous in 
heaven; the banishment of the wicked; and the 
destruction of the earth. So there can be no millen- 
nium after he comes. The doctrine of the millennium 
is, therefore, excluded from the Bible, and is a mere 
tradition having its origin in Cerinthus, the most 
noted heretic of the first century. 

But what about the thousand years in Revelation? 
Let us examine it carefully. In the first place we 
observe that it is not a reign of men in the body, but 
of the "souls of those who were beheaded for the 
witness of Jesus, and tor the word of God." Verse 4. 

We further see, that, they had not during their life 
upon the earth "worshiped the beast, neither his 
image, neither had received his mark" upon them; 
hence we conclude that they lived in the early part 
of the Christian era, before the beast made his ap- 
pearance. 

In another chapter the Revelator sees these same 
souls under the altar, and heaid them cry "with a 
loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, 
dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them 
that dwell upon the earth? * * * And is was said 
unto them, that they should rest yet for a little 
season, until their fellow-servants, also, and their 
brethren, that should be killed, as they were, should 
be fulfilled." Rev. 6: 9-1 1. These souls were rest- 



220 THE CHURCH. 

ing, hence we understand that this vision also applies 
to their thousand years reign with Christ. We 
also see in the above that the thousand years lie 
between periods of martyrdom; and that those who 
reigned were the victims of the first, awaiting the 
death of those of the second. 

But are those thousand years past, or are they yet 
to come? Let us turn again to the twentieth chapter, 
and make a further investigation of this subject. We 
find the devil was chained during that period. Verse 
3. Of course none would take this to be a literal 
chaining, for a spiritual being could not be thus con- 
fined. In what sense was he chained? By reading 
a little further, we find his chaining was a deprivation 
of the privilege of deceiving the nations. Verse 3. 
We observe, also, that at the expiration of the thous- 
and years, the devil is loosed for a little season; 
during which he gathers the forces of God and Ma- 
gog to gether to battle against the saints, and is 
defeated by fire from heaven. Verses 7-9. 

The fire from heaven signifies the coming of Christ, 
2 Thess. 2: 8; hence the devil is loosed from his 
thousand years confinement, a little season before the 
second coming of Christ. The fact that the Gog and 
Magog forces are already uniting proves that the 
thousand years are past. But can we find anything 
in this chapter pointing to the commencement of 
the thousand years? Let us see. We have seen that 
it was the souls of the martyrs of the early days of 
the Christian era who reigned. Hence we would 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 121 

suppose that the thousand year period begun soon 
after their martyrdom. This must be the case, 
for we have seen that they are already in the past. 

We have now lain the foundation, and will pro- 
ceed to show the exact interpretation. The thousand 
years were the darkest part of the papal reign. A. D. 
530 — 1530. During that period there were very few 
Christians upon the earth, hence the devil was de- 
prived of the privilege of deceiving them, and in this 
sense was chained. 

The reformation at the close of the thousand years, 
brought forth a host of redeemed people, thus restor- 
ing to the devil the opportunity of doing what he 
could at deceiving them. In this sense he was loosed 
The awful persecution inflicted upon the church in 
apostolic times, was during those thousand yeargi 
greatly abated: but it was poured forth afresh, and 
with greater ferocity, at the outburst of the Reforma- 
tion. Hence it is seen that the thousand years as we 
have located them above, were in fulfillment to 
prophecy, an intervening respite from persecution. 

A tew words now concerning the resurrection, of the 
chapter under consideration. Millennarians think the 
righteous are to be resurrected the instant of the 
Savior'? coirrng, and the wicked a thousand years 
later. This is a direct contradiction of the Savior's 
words. "The hour is coming, in the which all that 
are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come 
forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection 
of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resur- 



222 THE CHURCH. 

rection of damnation." Jno. 5: 28, 29. This text 
admits no thousand years interval between the 
resurrection of the just and unjust. All are to come 
forth the same hour. 

Let us turn our attention again to the book of 
Revelation, and resume our inquiry into the subject 
of the first resurrection. We have seen that it was 
the souls of the martyrs who reigned with Christ; 
and that during their reign, they inquired of God 
concerning the avenging of their blood upon those 
who dwelt upon the earth. So they were not upon 
the earth; hence had not attained unto the resur- 
rection of the body; yet had part in the first resur- 
rection. Nothing is easier than to see from this 
that the first resurrection is not a resurrection of 
*he body. Let us now search the scriptures for an 
explanation of the first resurrection. Jesus explains 
it as follows: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour 
is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the 
voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall 
live." Jno. 5: 25. To clearly discriminate between 
this resurrection and that of verses 28, 29, the reader 
should lay down this book, and study them in the 
word of God. The following distinctions will be 
observed : 

1st. This is a conditional resurrection; the other 
unconditional. 

2d. This is continuous; the other instantaneous. 

3d. This is attained by many; the other by all. 

4th. This is accessible by those who are alive 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 223 

upon the earth; the other by those who are in their 
graves. 

5th. All come forth unto bliss in this, resurrection. 
Rev. 20: 6. In the other some come forth unto 
damnation. 

6th. This is a present resurrection; the other is in 
the future. 

7th. The present must be called the first resurrec- 
tion; the future the second. 

8th. The first resurrection is a spiritual one; the 
second a corporeal. 

9th. The first is a resurrection from a spiritual death 
"in trespasses and sins;" the second is from the 
grave. 

10th. The first is a resurrection unto a holy walk 
with Christ; the second is unto the final judgment, 
to receive the sentence of everlasting bliss, or con- 
demnation, in the life which is to come. In Col. 2: 
13 Paul tells us how we attain to the first resurrection. 
"And you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircum- 
cision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with 
him, having forgiven you all trespasses." That we 
have a part in the first resurrection in conversion, is 
here too plainly taught to be denied. So the first 
resurrection includes all who are raised out of their 
sins in the whole Christian dispensation; both before 
and after the thousand years; yea the few who were 
raised during that dark age. This does not contra- 
dict the Revelator's prophecy, for he did not say, 
"This is the first resurrection," until he had mention- 



224 THE CHURCH. 

ed those who came up after the thousand years were 
ended. Thank God we have a part in the first resur- 
rection! "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in 
the first resurrection; on such the second death 
hath no power." 

Having now clearly seen that the thousand years 
of Satan's confinement are past, it is evident that we 
are living in the "little season" of his freedom, when 
he is to effect a union ot the nations Gog and Magog. 

What do these terms signify? This question has 
puzzled the minds of commentators of all ages. By a 
careful study of God's word, under the guidance of 
the Holy Ghost, we have been made to understand 
that they signify the two forms of the apostasy. 
They are explained in the 38th and 39th chapters of 
Ezekiel. Both these words occur in Ezek. 38: 2. 
Magog is not found in the rest of the chapter, which 
proceeds to describe the rise and fall of Gog. "Thou 
shalt ascend and come like a storm; thou shalt be 
like a cloud to cover the land." Verse 9. "And thou 
s^alt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; 
I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, 
all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither 
bars nor gates." (This language implies that Gog 
should make his ravages in the time when men should 
cease to wall in the cities.). "To take a spoil, and to 
take a prey." Verses 11, 12. 

"Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, 
with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, 
Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 225 

thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver 
and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a 
great spoil?" Verse 13. Just such a spoil was, dur- 
ing the dark ages, demanded by the Catholic confis- 
cation laws and taken by the inquisitors. When a 
man fell under the ban of the pope, liis property was 
turned over into the hands of the inquisitors who 
placed him under arrest. Scarcely a man of wealth 
escaped their hands. Where there was no just ac- 
cusation, they forged one. History gives account of 
many examples of this kind. "And thou shalt come 
up against my people of Israel [the church of God]," 
"as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the 
latter days [Christian era]." Verse 16. "Thus saith 
the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken 
in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, 
which prophesied in those days many years, that I 
would bring thee against them?" Verse 17. 

These words refer us to the many prophecies con- 
cerning the apostasy. The downfall of Gog is foretold 
as follows: "And it shall come to pass at the same 
time when Gog shall come up against the land of 
Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come 
up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of 
my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there 
shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel." 
Verses 18, 19. "And I will rain upon him, and upon 
his bands, and upon the many people that are with 
him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, 
and brimstone." Verse 22. 



226 THE CHURCH. 

The language of these texts is similar to that with 
which the sixteenth century reformation is foretold 
in the book of Revelation. See Rev. 16: 17-21. 
"And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and 
will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand." 
Ezek. 39: 3. Bow signifies power. Hence it is con- 
tained in this text, that God should take Gog's power 
from him. This, as we have before stated, was ac- 
complished in the sixteenth century reformation. 
Surely no further proofs are necessary to convince 
our readers that Gog signifies Catholicism. The pro- 
phet finishes his description of the overthrow of Gog 
in Ezek. 39: 5. In the next verse he commences 
a description of the judgments of God upon Magog. 

"And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them 
that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know 
that I am the Lord. So will I make my holy name 
known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will 
not let them pollute my holy name any more: and 
the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy 
One in Israel." Verses 6, 7. The reformation pre- 
dicted in these verses differs somewhat from the one 
previously described. In this God's judgments are 
poured out upon Magog; in the other upon Gog. 
God's name shall no more be defiled after this refor- 
mation; but not so with the other. Therefore, this is a 
more perfect reformation than the other. The 
location of these prophecies naturally indicates that 
this reformation should take place after the other. 
Hence, we consider this a prophecy of this nineteenth 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 227 

century reformation; and Magog a metaphor sig- 
nifying Protestantism. But we did not follow the 
prophet to the end of his prophecy of this second 
reformation. He goes on to say: "Behold, it is 
come, and it is done, saith the Lord God; this is the 
day whereof I have spoken." Verse 8. 

This verse calls our attention to the many pro- 
phecies of the evening light throughout the Bible. 
"And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go 
forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, 
both the shields and bucklers, the bows and the 
arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they 
shall burn them with fire seven years: so that they 
shall take no wood out of the fields, neither cut down 
any out of the forests; for they shall burn the 
weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that 
spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith 
the Lord God." Verses 9, 10. Weapons in the above 
signify the theories and opinions of men, for with 
such weapons sectarians fight generally. These 
verses, therefore, teach that this reformation, at its 
beginning, shall not be so much for the salvation of 
the outside world, as for the destruction of sectism. 
Present facts prove this true. The reader will under- 
stand the latter part of the tenth verse better, by 
reading it in connection with Rev. 18: 6. Since we 
have seen that the terms Gog and Magog signify the 
two forms of the apostasy, is it not clear in our 
minds that their Union will be a union of Protestant- 
ism with Catholicism? The devil's object in such a 



228 THE CHURCH. 

union, is to increase the volume of his strength to 
oppose the truth, and the saints of God. Rev. 20: 8',. 
9. Signs of such a union are already seen. We willl 
point out some of them. 

1st. The sympathy already existing between Pro- 
testants and Catholics. Upon this sympathy the: 
Catholics base a strong hope that some of the older 
Protestant denominations will soon see their error,, 
and return to the folds of Romanism. 

2d. Some of the Protestants have already begun to> 
advocate such a union. Some time ago, a speech 
was made to this end, in the city of Springfield, O.,, 
by a Protestant preacher. 

3d. Protestants have begun to sustain Rome. It is. 
no uncommon thing to see a Catholic committee ap- 
proach the Protestants with a petition for help to erect 
a house of worship; and depart, not empty handed. 

4th. The universal cessation of Protestants to pro- 
test against Catholicism. They once denounced her 
as an institution of anti-christ; to day they desire 
such expressions of Rome excluded from their 
creeds. Yea they bid her God speed, and pronounce 
her a Christian institution. Hear what Bishop R. S. 
Foster says. This noted Methodist declared before 
the New York conference, Nov. 9, 1886, "The popu- 
lar idea is that the church at Rome is anti-christ. I 
do not agree with the popular belief. I regard that 
wonderful institution as a grand Christian camp."* 

* I have these words from a tract entitled "The Modern Christian 
Damned and Lost," by Salem Faith Home. 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 229 

Think of this; an institution which has caused the 
blood of saints to flow like rivers in the earth, "a 
grand Christian camp." Did viler words ever drop 
from the lips of any living creature? Shame, O shame 
on such impudence! 

But Foster is not the only man maintaining such 
sentiments. The adages, "Good and bad in all 
churches;" "We are all going to the same heaven," 
etc., which were once strictly Protestant, now have 
a meaning that places Romanism on a level with 
Protestantism. 

5th. Protestant kings are beginning to do homage 
to the pope. On the anniversary of the birth of 
pope Leo XIII, in March, 1888, thousands of dollars 
worth of presents were sent unto him from various 
kings of the earth. President Cleveland sent him 
some valuable presents, among which was a beautiful 
little volume containing the Constitution of the 
United States. Do not these facts prove that the 
leading Protestants are becoming the allies of the 
pope? It is very evident that the devil is already 
paving the way for the union of the two forms of the 
apostasy, the consummation of which will be seen in 
its time. There must first be a union of the Pro- 
testant sects, exclusive of Rome, to complete the 
Protestant image of the first beast. Rev. 13: 14. By 
that time the church of the living God shall have 
increased to "multitudes, multitudes," which will 
greatly kindle against them the hostility of sectar- 
ians, who to more successfully oppose this holiness 



230 THE CHURCH. 

movement will then unite themselves with the heresy 
of Rome, and thus cause the people "to worship the 
first," whose deadly wound will then be healed. 
Rev. 13: 12. 



CHAPTER VI. 

FINAL DOOM OF THE BEAST. 

Gog and Magog united will constitute the devil's 
army in the last battle of the present ecclesiastical 
conflict. We are now just fighting the first battle. 
It shall end with victory on God's side. Rev.i2:"-u. 

This defeat will cause the devil to be very wrath- 
ful, and to wreak his vengeance upon the church, in 
a great flood of persecutions. V. 12, 13-15. These 
persecutions, will, perhaps, come chiefly from the 
" image of the beast." Bu 1- the earth will help the 
woman, by swallowing up the flood of persecution. 
V. 16. Earth signifies the world or sinners. Satan's 
defeat in this first battle will but increase his wrath, 
and he will make preparations for another battle. 
Rev. 12: 17. He will then unite the two wings of his 
army, Gog and Magog, and besiege the camp of the 
saints. Rev. 20: 8, 9. In another place we read 
that, " He gathered them together into a place, 
called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon." Rev. 
16: 16. Some have supposed this term to signify 
some particular locality, which is not the case, for- 
asmuch as the devil's army shall at the same time 
encompass the camp of the saints, which extends 
over " the breadth of the earth." Rev. 20: 9. 



E VENING LIGHT AGE. 231 

Armageddon is a Hebrew word, from Megiddo, 
the name of a valley which was the scene of one of 
the greatest victories Israel ever won. Judges 4: 1- 
24; 5:19. Israel was a type of the church. Hence 
it appears that Armageddon signifies a great triumph 
of the church. So the words, " He gathered them 
together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue 
Armageddon," seems to signify that the devil mus- 
tered his forces only to be defeated. This battle is 
called " the battle of that great day of God Al- 
mighty." Rev. 16: 14. These words signify that it 
will be the decisive battle of the war, and will end 
with the ushering in of the final judgment. 

The church will receive no protection from the 
outside world at that time, for all the kings of the 
earth, and their armies, will be united with the beast 
against her. Rev. 16: 14; 19: 19. It seems that at 
that time all the powers of earth and hell will be 
united to exterminate the holy seed. But the gates 
of hell shall not prevail against Christ's church. 
Matt. 16: 18. The armies of heaven will be mar- 
shalled against them (Rev. 19: 11-19), and the beast 
will be taken. V. 20. When the devil shall have 
the city of Zion besieged, ready to strike the fatal 
blow, fire will come from heaven to our rescue. Rev. 
20: 9. The fall of fire mentioned in this text signifies 
the coming of Christ. See 2 Thess. 1:7,8; 2:8; 
Heb. 10: 27. 

The words, " Behold I come as a thief," in con- 
nection with the prophecy of the gathering of 



2 3 2 THE CHURCH. 

the nations (Rev. 16: 14-16), also signify that the 
battle with Gog and Magog will end with the Sa- 
vior's coming; when the beast, the false prophet, 
the devil and all his hosts, will be "cast into the lake 
of fire and brimstone." Rev. 19:20; 20:10. " Who 
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from 
the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his 
power." 2 Thess. 1:9. 



CHAPTER VII. 

FINAL HOME OF THE CHURCH. 

In these last days of "perilous times," when every 
foolish notion finds lodgment in somebody's brain, 
it is believed by some that heaven will be upon the 
earth. If this were true, one of two other falsehoods 
would have to be acknowledged true. Either that 
heaven does not exist at the present time; or that it 
will be transported to the earth. To believe the 
former is to deny the words of the sacred writings, 
which declare it has already been prepared, even 
from the foundation of the world. Matt. 25: 34; 
20:23; Mark 10:40; 1 Cor. 2:9; Heb. 11:16. It is 
eternal, that is, "without beginning or end." '-Webster. 
2 Cor. 5:1. To believe the latter, is to possess a 
very narrow, contracted conception of htaven. I 
expect to go to a heaven so large, that were our 
solar system placed in the center of it, a man could 
not see its face from Neptune with the most power- 
ful telescope now extant. I expect to meet people 
in heaven from a million worlds, and learn wonderful 



EVENING LIGHT AGE. 233 

things about God's gracious dealings with his crea- 
tures in all parts of the universe. 

But be our home located where it may, we know 
that we shall be with the Lord. Phil. 1:23; John 
12'. 26; 14: 3; 17: 24. We know, also, that our future 
home shall be where Jesus is now. " Little children, 
yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me; 
and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go ye cannot 
come; so now I say to you." John 13: 33. " Simon 
Peter said unto Him, Lord, whither goest thou? 
Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not 
follow me now; but thou shalt follow me after- 
wards." Verse 36. 

That these verses promise the followers of Christ 
a home, by and by, where he went when he took 
leave of his apostles, is too plain to be misunder- 
stood. Where did He go? " So then, after the Lord 
had spoken unto them, he was received up into 
heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." Mark 
16:19. " He was parted from them and carried up 
into heaven." Luke 24: 51. "Ye have seen Him go 
into heaven." Acts 1: 11. It is further taught in 
the scriptures, that Jesus is now at the right hand of 
God. Acts;: 55, 56; Rom. 8: 34; Eph. 1: 20; Col. 3: 1;: 
Heb. 1 : 3; 10: 12. If then, our future home is to be 
where Jesus is now, it is evident that we shall dwell 
at God's right hand. But when shall we enter our 
blissful abode? In the twenty-fifth chapter of Mat- 
thew it is clearly taught that we shall enter it directly 
from the final judgment. But when shall the judg- 



234 THE CHURCH. 

ment take place? Paul tells us Christ "shall judge 
the quick and the dead at his appearing." 2 Tim. 4: 1. 
Our blessed Savior shall remain at the right hand of 
his Father until his enemies shall be made his foot- 
stool (Heb. 10: 12, 13); from whence we look for him 
(Phil. 3: 20), to receive us unto himself. John 14: 3. 
He shall descend from heaven with a shout, bringing 
with him those who are asleep in him. I Thess. 
4: 14-16. "Then we which are alive and remain shall 
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to 
meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be 
with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4: 4-17. 




DISSERTATION ON FALSE TEACHERS. 



I 



charge thee, therefore, before God, and the Lord 
Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the 
dead at his appearing, and his kingdom, Preach the 
word; be instant in season, out of season: reprove, 
rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine. 
For the time will come when they will not endure 
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they 
heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 
and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, 
and shall be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4: 1-4. 

Three points are explicitly set forth in the above 
text: 

1. That false teachers should make their ravages 
at a time when the masses should have retrograded 
so far from sound doctrine that they would not 
endure it. 

2. That they shall be authorized, and sent forth 
by men. 

3. That they should turn away the ears of the 
people from the truth. 

It is foolishness to suppose that the people have 
235 



236 DISSERTATION ON 

only in the last few years become so perverted that 
they would not heed the truth. They reached this 
climax at least fifteen hundred years ago; which 
gave the Roman Catholics opportunity to introduce 
their superstitions. The way has, therefore, long 
been prepared for false teachers. The people were 
actually more stupid under the reign of popery, 
than they are now; though now they are more per- 
verted than at other periods in the protestant age. 

When the Reformation began, Luther and his 
co-workers were regarded as false teaches, by the 
masses, because they taught justification by faith. 
Why was this? Because their ears had been turned 
away from the truth by false teachers. Why is it 
that professors of to day scoff at the doctrine of 
sanctification by faith, subsequent to regeneration? 
And why is it that they will not endure a Bible dis- 
course on most any theme? Because their ears are 
turned away from the truth by false teachers. We 
need not spend time and space to prove that the 
time has long since come for the people to heap to 
themselves; for it is a well known fact that the ma- 
jority of sect preachers are of this sort. They are 
manufactured in theological seminaries, voted into 
the ministry, and hired by the people. We believe 
that comparatively few are truly called of God, and 
working only for the glory of God, and the welfare 
of immortal souls. 

CAUTION. 

•"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in 



FALSE TEACHERS. 237 

sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening 
wolves." Matt. 7: 15. Throughput the Bible we are 
told that the false prophets of the Christian era 
would not wear the rough dress (Zech. 13: 4), but 
would be clothed in sheep-skins, that is, professing 
themselves Christians; or as Paul expresses it, 
"Transforming themselves into the apostles of 
Christ." 2 Cor. 11:13. It behooves us, therefore, 
to be cautious and watchful, lest we be led astray 
by deceivers. 

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, 
whether they are of God; because many false pro- 
phets are gone out into the world." I John 4: 1. No 
one should be blamed for demanding an investiga- 
tion before accepting any doctrine, for that is exactly 
what John commands in the above text. But we do 
put forth a standing rebuke against the unjust prin- 
ciple, by which many of to day are actuated, of 
passing sentence of condemnation upon mere hear- 
say. Any person who condemns without investigation 
disobeys the above command as much as he who 
receives as orthodox that which he has not, by 
thorough investigation, proven true. But what is 
the best course to pursue in trying the spirits? The 
banker, to successfully detect a counterfeit bill, must 
first procure a good bill, and place it beside the 
counterfeit. Then by means of his detector trace all 
the marks 1 ; threads, etc., upon it, and also upon the 
counterfeit. In this way a counterfeit is soon de- 
tected. So, reader, to successfully detect counterfeit 



238 DISSERTATION ON 

spirits, you must first receive into your heart the 
genuine Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which exactly accords 
with the Bible in all things. Then when you meet 
with a spirit, or doctrine, with which you have no 
fellowship, by means of the detector, the word of 
God, you can easily discover wherein it is wrong. 

We will notice one more point in the above text. 
" Many false prophets are gone out into the world." 
" For many deceivers are entered into the world." 
2 John 7. It was in A. D. 90 that John wrote the 
above. So those who think that the false prophets 
are just making their appearance, are just eighteen 
hundred years behind the times. False teachers 
have already accomplished their work, which the 
evening light is now sweeping away. 

HOW FALSE TEACHERS ARE KNOWN. 

11 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men 
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, 
every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a 
corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree 
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt 
tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth 
not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the 
fire. Wherefore by their truits ye shall know them." 
Matt. 7: 16-20. The above is an infallible rule by 
which we can discern every man, of what sort he is. 
Wherever we find the fruit of a false prophet we are 
sure to find a false prophet. Some might suppose that 
a real God-sent minister might in some cases, through 
ignorance, bear the fruits of a false prophet. This is 



FALSE TEACHERS. 239 

as incredible as grapes growing on thorn bushes, or 
figs on thistle stocks. People too often neglect to 
apply the above rule. They acknowledge men to be 
of God because they are orators and make a great 
profession, when they would, by applying the Savior's 
rule, at once discern them to be false prophets. You 
can no more detect false teachers by their profession, 
or outward appearance, than you can enter an or- 
chard and tell which of the trees bear sour apples, 
and which sweet, by looking at the bark on the trees. 
"Ye shall know them by their fruits." Jesus de- 
nominates the false prophets, wolves in sheep's 
clothing. As a wolf 's foot is nothing like the foot 
of a sheep, the best plan to detect them is by the 
tracks they leave behind them. 

The ancient Jews taught that good fruit sometimes 
grew on corrupt trees. They regarded the miracles 
of Christ as good and notable works, while they 
looked upon him as the worst of impostors, pos- 
sessed with demons. The Gentiles of today teach 
that evil fruit grows on good trees; that is, that all 
Christians commit sin. Both these doctrines are 
false, and Jesus reproves them, saying, " Either make 
the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the 
tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is 
known by his fruit." Matt. 12: 33. 

Reader, settle it forever in your heart, that evil 
fruit grows only on corrupt trees, and good fruit 
only on good trees, and it will be no task for you 
to detect deceivers. 



240 DISSERTATION ON 

Fruits. 

Having seen that the gospel rule to discern false 
teachers is by their fruits," we need only to acquire 
a knowledge of their fruits from the sacred pages, 
to be able to unmistakably point them out. We will 
first notice a description of their fruits in the Old 
Testament. ''All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, 
yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are 
blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, 
they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to 
slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can 
never have enough; and they are shepherds that 
cannot understand; they all look to their own way, 
every one for his gain from his quarter." Isa. 56:9-1 1. 

The above is undoubtedly as good a description 
of modern false teachers as is found between the 
lids of the Bible. Sectism has flooded the world 
with preachers who are blind, ignorant and dumb, 
and lazy. Of course we must admit some exceptions, 
but all those exceptions are being speedily delivered 
from the cages of deception. "But," says one, " how 
can you make out that the preachers in sectism are 
ignorant? Many of them are highly educated, hav- 
ing spent years in the study of theology, and to day 
are holding diplomas from the very best theological 
seminaries." They are, truly, very well versed in 
worldly knowledge. If you investigate their libraries, 
you will find they consist of the very best works. 
Unabridged dictionaries, complete concordances; 
works on philosophy, and the various sciences; 



FALSE TEACHERS. 241 

biographies, ecclesiastical and political histories, 
etc., etc., are to be found there. And an interview 
with them will convince you that they are not ignor- 
ant of their contents. Their "great swelling words" 
and polite gestures back their assertions that they 
have been to college. You cannot in any way 
prove them ignorant of secular things, but lead them 
into that branch of the science of theology called 
Hermeneutics, which treats of the principles of 
scripture interpretation, and you will find them blind 
and ignorant and dumb. D. D., the title borne by 
the biggest sect preachers, lexicographers say, stands 
for "doctor of divinity." It is the English equiva- 
lent of the Hebrew title Rabbi, which Jesus forbade 
his disciples to affix to their names. If we conclude 
that D. D. stands for " dumb dog," the title will be 
scriptural, for the prophet says, "They are all dumb 
dogs " He furthermore says, " They cannot bark; 
sleeping, lying- down, loving to slumber." So the 
people will not be warned of approaching dangers, 
if they cannot bark. And if they could they are too 
stupid and slothful to do it. The prophet further 
says, " They are greedy dogs, which can never have 
enough." Where will you find this fulfilled, if not 
in sectism. Few of their preachers are content with 
any salary. If you offer them $600 they will want 
$800. If you will not give it they will go where they 
can get it, excusing themselves with the plea that 
the Spirit moves them to go thither, when it is 
money that moves them. Many of them go into the 



242 DISSERTATION ON 

ministry especially to make money. A certain young 

man in P , after spending several years in college 

preparing himself for the ministry, in the Babylonian 
way, went to conference to receive a circuit. He 
was offered one with a salary of $400. He refused 
it, saying, " I can get get $600 for running an engine." 
So he run his engine a year or two, but has now gone 
into the pulpit. What a fatal mistake he made. He 
should have stayed in the engine house. He was 
worth far the most there, until he gets salvation. 
Such a preacher is a curse to any people, at any price. 
We will not occupy space with any more exam- 
ples, as they are too numerous for any one to doubt 
the truth of what we say. "They are shepherds 
that cannot understand." Though the sect preachers 
have spent years in study, they are still destitute of 
a real spiritual insight to the word of God. There is 
scarcely a Bible subject that they can explain satis- 
factorily to an inquiring mind. They can only give 
you the decisions of certain councils, the commen- 
tator's construction, and iheir own opinions. The 
apostle has well described them when he wrote the 
following words: " Ever learning, and never able to 
come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Tim. 3: 7. 
Notice the rest of Isaiah's description of false 
teachers: "They all look to their own way, every 
one for his gain from his quarter." The preachers 
who look to the quarterly conferences for their gain, 
are so numerous that a child can see where this text 
applies, without the aid of comments. 



FALSE TEACHERS. 243 

" Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter 
the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore, 
thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors 
that feed my people: " Ye have scattered my flock, 
and driven them away, and havts not visited them: 
behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, 
saith the Lord." Jer. 23: 1-2. The scattering of the 
people of God, is here set forth as the work of false 
teachers. Such works sectarians have been engaged 
in for centuries; teaching the people that it is right 
to be divided, and that division always existed 
among the children of God. Of course those who 
study the New Testament will see at once the falsity 
of such teachings, for it declares concerning the 
apostolic church, that " The multitude of them that 
believed were of one heart and of one soul." Acts 
4: 32. They also teach the people that sect organi- 
zations are essential to hold the Christian people 
together, when everybody knows they hold them apart. 

Reader, suppose you owned a pasture field con- 
taining many thousand acres, in which you kept a 
large flock of sheep. Suppose you were going on a 
journey, and before you start you set shepherds over 
your flock, charging them to guard off the wolves, 
and keep out the goats, and to keep the flock to- 
gether. You then take leave of them, trusting all in 
their care. During your absence they build many 
partition fences, until your field is divided into many 
little fields. They then cast some of your sheep into 
each field; and to swell their numbers cast a great 



244 • DISSERTATION ON 

many wolves and goats into each field with the 
sheep. They then put up a bulletin by each field, 
and upon each they write a different name. Upon 
one they write, lions; upon another, bears; upon 
another, sheep; upon another, horses, etc., until all 
are named differently. When you come home you 
find your pasture trodden down and defiled by the 
goats; and worse yet, some of your sheep have been 
devoured by the wolves. What would you do in 
such a case? I assure vou, you would discharge all 
those shepherds at once. And you would hold them 
responsible for the sheep the wolves had devoured. 
You would then set your servants to pulling down 
division fences, and casting out the goats and wolves, 
until your flock were all together, and in perfect 
safety, as they formerly were. 

This is a figure of the way false teachers have 
treated God. He built his.church in perfect purity 
and unity, and ordained pastors and teachers to 
oversee the flock, and to guard them against schisms 
and divisions; and behold the pastors themselves 
have brought in many hundreds of schisms, and 
scattered God's saints to the four winds of heaven. 
"And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, 
Son of man, prophesy againt the shepherds of 
Israel; prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the 
Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be unto the 
shepherds of Israel that do teed themselves! should 
not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, 
and ye clothe you with wool, ye kill them them that 



FALSE TEACHERS. 245 

are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased 
have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed 
that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that 
which was broken, neither have ye brought again 
that which was driven away, neither have ye sought 
that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty 
have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, be- 
cause there is no shepherd: and they became meat 
to all the beasts of the field, when they were scat- 
tered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, 
and upon every high hill; yea my flock was scattered 
upon all the face of the earth, and none did search 
or seek after them." Ezek. 34: 1-6. 

In this text false shepherds are arraigned for indo- 
lence, faithlessness, tyranny, covetousness and lux- 
urious living. Shepherds are intended to care for, 
and feed the flock; but these feed themselves, and 
feed not the flock: that is, they labor for money, 
having little or no regard for the souls of the people. 
These false shepherds also eat the fat and clothe 
themselves with wool; no matter if their flocks are 
clothed in rags and destitute of daily food. "The 
diseased have they not strengthened, neither have 
they healed that which was sick." Oh no, say they, 
the days of miracles are past. They are not only 
minus the gift of the Holy Spirit, to effect cures 
through the name of Jesus, but of the very faith in the 
existence of such power. Faith healing is one of the 
Lord's instrumentalities in the salvation of souls. 
Sometimes a whole city or community was conver- 



246 DISSERTATION ON 

ted through a single miracle in the apostle's days. 
Paul tells us that the miracles Christ wrought by him 
was "to make the Gentiles obedient by word and 
deed." Rom. 15: 18. In verse 19 he shows that the 
gospel is no!- fully preached unless accompanied by 
"mighty signs and wonders by the power of the 
Spirit of God." No man is, therefore, thoroughly 
equipped as a minister of Christ without faith enough 
to drive diseases from the bodies of his fellow- 
creatures. 

Ezekiel further shows that the false teachers have 
not bound up the broken; that is, they have not pro- 
perly pointed the broken-hearted penitent to "the 
Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world." 
"Neither have ye sought that which was lost;" that is, 
they have not aimed at the salvation of souls lost in 
sin. Heedless of Peter's injunction against being 
lords over God's heritage, the false prophets have 
ruled "with force, and with cruelty." "He that 
putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war 
against him." Micah 3: 5. Ofttimes persons have 
been expelled from their societies foi delinquency 
in their quarterage. "Hear this, I pray you, ye heads 
of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of 
Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. 
The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests 
thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine 
for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and 
say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come 
upon us." Micah 3: 9, 11. 



FALSE TEACHERS. 247 

The reader will observe that money seeking is 
mentioned as a fruit of false teachers in nearly every 
text we have quoted since we struck this branch of 
our theme. No true God-sent minister of the gospel 
preaches for money. God has "ordained that they 
who preach the gospel shall live of the gospel;" but 
their living is to consist of the free-will offerings of 
the people. Salary preaching is contrary to the 
Bible. Paul made "the gospel of Christ without 
charge." 1 Cor. 9: 18. A salary preacher is a hire- 
ling; and Jesus tells us such "careth not for the 
sheep." Jno. 10: 13. 

The New Testament, like the old, makes di- 
vision and money seeking the principal fruits of false 
teachers. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them 
which cause divisions and offences contrary to the 
doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus 
Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and 
fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Rom. 
16: 17, 18. 

This text makes every maker of division a false 
teacher. And if makers of division are false teachers, 
the propagators of it, are certainly no better. It is, 
therefore, no task in our day to point out a false 
teacher. 

"But there were false prophets also among the 
people, even as there shall be false teachers among 
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, 
even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring 



248 DISSERTATION. 

upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall 
follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the 
way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through 
covetousness shall they with feigned words make 
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long 
time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth 
not." 2 Pet. 2: 1-3. "Damnable heresies" in the 
above signifies destructive sects, and is so rendered 
in the German version. Sects are therefore the 
fruits of false teachers. 

Some suppose that the false prophets were to de- 
ceive but few; but Peter tells us in the above that 
"many shall follow their pernicious ways." The fact 
is, nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the earth are to 
day under the influence of false teachers. O God, 
let thy truth spring forth speedily. 

Peter further shows that the way of truth shall be 
evil spoken of by reason of them who follow the 
pernicious ways of false teachers. So we may look 
for frowns, curses, and abuses from the sectarian 
world. Facts prove them the source of the body of 
the oppositions with which we meet. But let them 
rage, we shall spend our life in defence of the truth. 

THE END. 




